Another One Lost, Another One Gained
by CharmingWhitelighter
Summary: Paige and Leo are gone. Piper and Phoebe save a girl from a car accident, with Chris's help he's not related. But is this girl a mortal, or the answer the 2 Charmed Ones have been looking for?
1. Losing Paige and Leo

Phoebe approached the closed door and pressed her ear to the wood. She heard someone crying, and slowly opened the door.

"Piper?" she asked cautiously.

Piper looked up from the picture in her hand and glanced at Phoebe with red eyes. She turned towards the window, avoiding Phoebe's eyesight.

"Honey. Can't you talk to me?" Phoebe was hurt that Piper wouldn't talk to her.

"No. I can't." Piper shoulder's started to shake as she started to cry once more. Piper stood up and stood at the window, her stare lost in the setting sun. Phoebe turned to walk out the door, when Piper's voice stopped her.

"I don't get it. Are we cursed? Why does this always happen to us? Piper cried out as she sunk to the floor, pulling her legs close to her chest. She sat there rocking for a minute before Phoebe came up behind her and sat down next to her.

"Oh sweetie. We are not cursed. It just happened. I didn't want it to, but it did." Phoebe didn't think she sounded very sympathetic, so she tried again. "Paige… Paige was doing something great when she…when she…"

"Died." Piper interjected.

"Passed away." Phoebe corrected. "She loved being a witch. She loved to save innocents, and she loved being a sister. There was nothing in the world she'd rather do then save someone." Phoebe knew that Paige would be like a Prue to Piper. In her heart forever, and irreplaceable, even if some else came along.

"But it was all my fault. Paige died helping me help you, not some stupid innocent!" Piper yelled, flinging her arms in the air, causing a flower vase in the corner to blow up. Phoebe grabbed Piper's hands and held onto them as she let Piper continue. "Why didn't I listen to Leo? If I did, Paige wouldn't be gone, and neither would Leo!" Piper yelled.

"Honey. Even Leo didn't know about the darklighter was going to attack. There was no way to avoid it." Phoebe's vision started to blur as her eyes filled with tears. She pulled Piper closer to her and hugged her.

"That darklighter, he had no feelings. He just shot them and watched them die in pain. If I hadn't gone to that stupid cemetery, Paige wouldn't have followed me. If Paige hadn't followed me and gotten shot, Leo would have never come to heal her. And if Leo never had to come heal Paige, he wouldn't be…" Piper's voice choked.

Suddenly, blue orbs filled the room and Piper turned around anxiously. When she saw it was only her new whitelighter Chris Perry, she continued to cry in Phoebe's arms. Phoebe motioned to Chris, who threw her a pillow. Phoebe laid Piper's head on the pillow and covered her with a blanket on the chair next to her.

"Follow me." Phoebe commanded Chris in a whisper.

Walking out the room, she turned and shut the door soundly. She headed down the stairs. When she reached the kitchen, she sat at the table, beckoning Chris to do the same. He sat.

"Chris… What's going to happen now?" Phoebe's eyes searched his for an answer, but all she found were tears.

"I really don't know. I…I guess I'm your whitelighter now. I always wanted to be your whitelighter, but not at these consequences. I didn't want Leo to die, or Pa…." He laid his head down and cried the tears he had held since their deaths. He hadn't cried at their funeral either, which was 2 days earlier. Chris had been the strong one, keeping the family upright. Piper had locked her self in her room when the died and only came out for the funeral. Phoebe had locked her self in the attic, desperately trying to summon Paige. All she received was her Grams. Phoebe recalled the conversation she had with her.

"_Grams?" Phoebe asked hesitantly._

"_Darling. How are you?" Grams had asked._

"_Well, I'm better than Piper." Phoebe had responded bitterly._

"_I know. You were hoping for Paige, right?" Grams asked._

"_Well, I'm not going to lie to you." Phoebe said_

"_Honey, it was just like Prue's death. She needs to adjust, but she's fine. She has your mother, myself, and Prue. She finally gets to be with her sister." Grams said._

"_She wasn't supposed to be with Prue." Phoebe had yelled as she ran out of the attic._

Phoebe got up and went around the table towards Chris. She sat next to him and gently rubbed his back. He looked up at her and rubbed his eyes, brushing away the tears.

"I just can't believe she's dead." Chris choked out. He and Paige had been dating. Thier relationship had started to advance. Piper, and her husband Leo, and Phoebe both thought they weren't going to make it. They were always fighting, or yelling at each other. "We…we were engaged. I asked her 2 weeks before… you know." Chris said.

Phoebe was ecstatic. "Oh my God Chris! That's so exciting." She said.

"Well… it was, but now, were never going to get married!" Chris yelled, pounding his fist on the table.

"I have an idea. Why don't you go talk to Piper about everything. She lost Leo. He was everything to her. Her husband, her best friend, and her soul mate. You might get through to her more than I could." Phoebe said to Chris as he got up and walked towards the stairs.

"God Paige, Leo. I miss you guys so much." Phoebe said as one lone tear rolled down her cheek.

Four blocks away from the Halliwell Manor, Shea Scotts sat in the passenger seat of the hot red Ferrari. Her boyfriend, Rhys Foster passed her a cigarette from the driver's seat. She took a hit and passed it back to her best friend, Caitlin Hayes and her boyfriend Dave Watts. They both took a hit and passed it back to up front.

"Dave! Pass me a beer!" Shea yelled over the blasting of rock music screaming out of the radio. They were going 80 now, in a 35-mph area. Dave passed her a beer and Rhys opened it for her – with his teeth.

"I love you Shea!" He shouted. He kissed her, unaware that he had crossed onto Prescott Street. The party they were going to was on the other side of town, but they had ended up, drunk, far away from any party site.

"I love you Rh…" Shea was cut short when a scream erupted from her mouth. Their car, now doing 95, had crossed into the lane of an oncoming car. Shea flung her hand backward to grab Caitlin's. She caught it and faced the back seat, her eyes scrunched together and her mouth mumbling prayers. A screech of tires and a crash of metal caused her to open her eyes, and she saw a huge Victorian house behind them. That was the last thing she saw.


	2. Accident

Chris and Piper were sitting on her bed, not talking. Chris glanced at her. _She's beautiful_ he thought. _What am I thinking? She was married, she just lost her husband. I'm being stupid. Besides, I was engaged to her sister._

"Chris. I…I miss him." Piper whispered, as she buried her head in his chest. He stroked her hair, calming her.

"I miss Paige too. I was in love. She meant the world to me, like Leo meant the world to you." Chris whispered back.

Piper looked up at him. She saw his emerald green eyes, and his warm smile. He looked down at her. He was breathless at her beauty. He leaned towards her and their lips met. He kissed her passionately, like it was the last thing he's ever do in his life. She returned the passion in the same way. They leaned backwards on the bed and he slid his hand around her waist. All of the sudden, they heard metal screeching and a giant crash, right outside of the house. Screams echoed the rooms and A door opened down stairs.

"Chris! Piper! Help!" Phoebe yelled as she ran outside to the overturned car. The man in the other vehicle ran around to the driver's side and tried to open the car door. He wasn't having much luck. Piper and Chris came running down the stairs and stared in shock at the destruction in front of their house.

"Piper freeze them!" Chris yelled.

Piper threw her hands in the air, freezing the flames coming out of the car and the man frantically trying to open he door. The screams of the kids inside suddenly ceased. Piper threw up her hands again and this time, the door blew off of the red Ferrari. Chris pulled the driver out and practically flung the kid towards Phoebe, who was standing on the sidewalk in utter awe. He reached back in the car, crawling fully inside.

"Piper!" He yelled. "I need help!"

Piper entered the car and they both emerged carrying a person. Phoebe was desperately trying to get the first boy to wake up.

"Phoebe, their frozen!" Piper yelled as she laid a girl on the ground, next to the other two boys. Piper saw the flames that were frozen start to flicker and she knew that the freeze was about to wear off. Chris came out of the car carrying the last passenger, a girl. Piper pulled the man backwards as the car was engulfed in flames. They went flying as the flames grew higher and higher, illuminating the sky. In the distance, sirens cut through the midnight silence.

Shea woke up and looked around. Her eyelids felt heavy and it was hard to keep them open. She saw white all around her and she heard a steady beeping noise. She heard a sudden shuffle of a chair and feet hurrying towards her. She saw a face leaning over her. The dark brown hair complemented her brown shoulder length hair.

"Hey there sleepy." A voice said to her.

"H…ey." She replied sleepily.

"Don't worry, you don't have to talk. Can you write?" Piper asked.

Piper reached towards the desk for a piece of paper and turned back towards the hospital bed to find the girl once again passed out. Piper sighed.

Then, arms slipped around her from behind. She turned her head backward to see Chris standing behind her. He released her and sat down next to her.

"Piper, about what happened in your room…"Chris started.

Piper kissed him, interrupting his statement. He was a little surprised, but he gave into the kiss, wrapping his arms around her waist, pulling her closer. He started moving his hands, rubbing them down her thighs.

"Can you guys get a room or something?" a hoarse voice came from underneath the covers.

Chris laughed and pulled the covers back to reveal a teen-age girl with a broken arm. There was a burn, which would scar eventually, over her left eye. Her childish blue eyes were laughing and her warm smile spilled over her face.

"Hey there." Piper said, yet again.

"Hi. Sorry if I interrupted you guys, who ever you are." The girl said

"Oh yea. I'm Piper. Piper Halliwell. This is Chris Perry." Piper said.

"I'm Shea." Shea said.

"What's your last name?" Chris asked.

"Shea Scott." Shea responded

"Are you the ones who saved me?" Shea asked.

"Yea. We are." Chris spoke up for the first time. His voice was deep. _And sexy_ Shea thought.

"Where's Rhys, and Caitlin and Dave?" Shea asked. Piper and Chris exchanged a glance. Shea caught it. She looked at them with hopeful eyes.

"Honey. Dave and Rhys didn't make it out of the car." Piper said softly.

Tears started forming in Shea's eyes.

"What about Caitlin?" Shea asked. _Oh God. Please say she made it. Please_ she thought urgently.

Piper grabbed her hand and pulled her into a hug.

"Oh my God! No!" Shea screamed.


	3. Sister

Phoebe walked into Shea Scott's bedroom apartment. She noticed the mess on the floor, which included girls and guys clothes. "Ever hear of a vacuum?" She said to herself as she noticed the massive amounts of dirt on the floor, obviously from the treading of people partying the night away. "She's worse than Paige." Phoebe said, remembering when Paige used to bring her wild party friends to the manor. Phoebe stepped over a carton of old Chinese food that was probably stuck to the floor. Phoebe didn't know exactly why she was here. Piper told her that she should come, to "examine" the place. That basically translated to: Go through her stuff and she what she's like. Walking into the bedroom, she came across an unmade bed, and more dirty or clean clothes. She looked for the closet and found it. It was covered in posters of everything imaginable. She had posters of Ben Folds, the Postal Service and other bands. There were awards for spelling bees, and even a "Spiritual Award" for her catholic school. Phoebe laughed to herself as she tried to open the closet door. When she finally got it open, she found a little beanbag, implying that Pier used to sit there. A bookshelf occupied one wall, and a row of clothes took up the other. A box on top of a shelf was marked Shea. Phoebe stood on one other the shelves and reached up for the box. She didn't open it, but loaded it into her car and drove to the manor. She'd call Chris and Piper home and open it then.

Shea sat alone. Piper and Chris had left a little while ago, promising to come back and to bring Piper's other sister. Shea thought about her conversation that she and Piper had when Chris left to go get something for them to drink.

"You guys must be in love." Shea had said. 

"I don't know…"Piper hesitated for a moment, but then she continued. "Chris used to date my sister Paige, and I was married to my…um…well I was married to the love of my life, Leo."

"_What happened?" Shea had asked, hoping she wasn't intruding. "Did they sleep together or something?"_

"_No. My sister and Leo died about a week ago. Chris and I, we just…I don't really know. Were comforting each other you could say." Piper had tried to put it the best way she knew how. She thought about how she was never really good at talking to kids. Paige was the social worker; it was her area of expertise._

"_Were you and Chris…seeing each other before they died?" Shea had asked._

"_No. You know, for someone who just survived a major car accident, you really aren't getting enough sleep." Piper had said, laughing._

_Chris had stuck his head in the door and said that Phoebe called, and she needed them back at the manor. He came towards Shea and leaned forward. He whispered in her ear, "We'll be back later" He had grabbed Piper's hand and led her toward the door. Piper had turned back at her and made a face. Shea stuck her tongue out and Piper chuckled as the heavy wood door closed behind them._

Shea opened her eye to see her latest foster parents, the Scott's standing at the foot of her bed. _Oh no,_ she though.

"What? Not happy to see us?" Ryan Scott asked, reading her facial expression.

"You deserve everything you got you little worm." Her foster mom, Belle Scott hissed at her.

"Shut up." Shea muttered.

"What was that?" Belle asked, raising a hand threateningly. Out of habit, Shea raised her hand to deflect the blow aimed at her head. Belle's hand slipped through Shea's defensive maneuver and her hand stung Shea's head.

"Now Belle. Let's look at this as a blessing. She's alive, and since she's alive, we get more insurance money. If she had died like the rest of her pitiful loser friends, we wouldn't be collecting as much money. See, we can sue that Foster boy's parents for some serious damage money." Ryan was only concerned with the money. That was the only reason they kept her around, to collect money.

"Don't you dare sue Rhys' parents." Shea demanded. This time, it was Ryan's hand that shot out and stung Shea's head, this time on the side, by her temple.

"Ryan honey. Let's go. I don't want to be here anymore. You better be here when we come back tomorrow." Belle spat out.

They left, slamming the door behind them. Shea picked up the phone and looked at the small piece of paper in her hand. It had the Halliwell's number on it, and they said she could call whenever she needed to. She dialed the number and waited for someone to pick up.

Piper parked the car and got out. She looked at the roped off area which was marked by the yellow caution tape. She shuddered when she thought about those poor kids. _They were only 18,_ she thought. She made her way up the stair and entered the manor. Phoebe was sitting in the living room, staring at a small cardboard box with the name Shea written on each side, and on the top, in big black letters.

"I waited for you, before I opened it." Phoebe explained, as if she was reading Piper's mind.

"Wait for me!" Chris yelled from the kitchen. A moment later, her entered the living room, fully equipped with a sandwich and a coke. Piper sat down next to Phoebe on the couch and Chris sat on a chair. Phoebe slipped the scissors under the duck tape and pulled them, causing the tape rip cleanly. Taking the cover off, she blew a thin layer of dust off the contents of the box. One by one she pulled the items out and placed them on the coffee tale.

"A picture." Piper said, thinking that it looked familiar. Phoebe pulled the next item out.

"A baby blanket." Piper stated the obvious.

"Wait. Doesn't that look like ours?" Phoebe said, referring to the baby blankets that their mother, Patty Halliwell, had made them just after they were born. All of them were blue, just like Shea's, and it said their name on it, just like Shea's.

"Just a coincidence." Piper said.

The next item was a baby book. Phoebe opened it and placed on the coffee table, so that they could look at it. The cover page just said Shea in big fancy letters. Just then, the phone rang.

"I'll get it." Piper offered. She stood up and walked into the kitchen, and lifted the phone off the receiver.

"Hello?" A voice on the other line said.

"Hello. Shea?" Piper asked.

"Yea. I was wondering, well I can be released and I was wondering if I could go to your house, because my foster parents…well…I was just wondering." Shea stuttered out.

"Hey, no. That's fine. I'll pick you up in 20 minutes." Pier could sense the fear in Shea's voice.

"Thanks. I'll be ready." Shea hung the phone up.

Piper walked back into the living room.

"I'm going to pick Shea. Her foster parents are freaking…"Piper just noticed Phoebe's face, which was twisted in confusion and disbelief. "What?"

All Phoebe could do was point at first, but then she spoke. It's Shea, with her mom and dad." She managed to say.

"So what. He mom and dad…are the same as our mom and dad." Piper couldn't believe it either. She sat down on the couch, forgetting about Shea for the moment.


	4. Attack of the Foster Parents

Out of nowhere, A demon shimmered into the room and Phoebe and Piper were caught off guard. It was the first attack since Paige's death, and their minds went blank at the sight of the horned demon staring at them with his black eyes, smirking at them. He formed an energy ball, and Phoebe snapped into action, but Piper, stood there paralyzed.

"Piper! Come on!" Phoebe yelled, as Piper remained unmoving. Phoebe levitated and kicked the demon's hand, extinguishing the energy ball. She landed with cat reflexes and preformed a roundhouse kick to the demon's stomach. She stepped back as the demon bent over double in pain. Chris ran up behind Piper and raised her hands, blowing the demon up. Phoebe looked at Piper.

"What was that?" She sounded mad.

"I…I have to go pick Shea up." Piper said, running out of the room with her car keys in her hand. A second later, Phoebe heard the car start and tires screeching as Piper pealed out of the driveway. She looked at Chris, who just shook his head.

Shaking all over, Piper pulled into a parking space at County General Hospital. She shook off the shivers and walked through the automatic doors. A couple stormed past her, clearly looking angry. She caught part of their conversation as the woman stopped the man. She brushed her blond hair out of her face and stared at the handsome dark haired man she was with.

"Ryan. I can't believe your being soft on her." The woman said angrily.

"Belle." He pleaded with her. "She just lost her best friend, and her boyfriend. We can't sue. It's just mean."

They must be Shea's foster parents, Piper thought. She pretended to be looking through a magazine as they continued to argue.

"Ryan Scott. This is our big break. We sue the pants off the Fosters and we get the money. Then we split. It's all the money we've dreamed about." Belle grabbed Ryan by the shoulders and shook him, as if she was shaking sense back into his head.

"I just think that we should take it easy. Why do we have to ditch her?" Ryan asked. He obviously cared for Shea slightly.

Belle had also come to this conclusion. "You've like her, as a daughter. You really want to adopt her, don't you?" Belle's eyes were accusing.

"She's not such a bad kid. She's funny, and she's a big help around the house." Ryan said with a fondness in his voice.

"I can't believe you. You should just adopt her and get rid of me." Belle stormed out of the hospital causing several people to look in her direction. Ryan just sighed and sat down. Piper thought about it, then sat down next to him. She gently tapped his shoulder, startling him.

"I'm sorry. I couldn't help hearing your conversation. Are you Shea Scott's dad?" Piper asked

"I'm Ryan Scott, her foster dad. Why?" Ryan asked. He was nervous about this woman.

"My name is Piper Halliwell. The accident was…" Pier started to explain.

"In front of your house." Ryan interjected.

"Yea. Listen, Shea called me. She asked me to pick her up." Piper said.

"Why." Ryan asked again.

"She was scared of you guys. Although, If you don't mind me saying, I think she's more afraid of Belle, or whatever her name is, than you are. It looks like you care about her." Piper tried to look into his eyes, trying to find some sign of love.

His voice softened. "Yea. I really love her, as a daughter. I don't know why I'm still with Belle. I guess it's because if I left, they'd take her away, or grant her to Belle, because she makes more money than I do. I couldn't leave Shea with Belle. Belle hates her."

Do you want to come get her with me? You could stay at my house or something, until Belle cools off." Piper offered.

"Thanks, but she won't cool off to soon. She stays angry for a little while. But I'll come with you to say good bye to Shea." He stood up.

"No. It will be fine. We have a guest room, and you can keep an eye on Shea." Piper insisted.

Finally, Ryan gave in. "Okay," was his only response.

They stood at the elevator waiting for it to arrive.

"Sorry. What was your name again?" Ryan asked, embarrassed.

"Piper. Piper Halliwell." Piper responded, smiling at him.

"Piper." He repeated. "That's pretty." He responded, smiling back down at her.

Shea was in her room, packing all her stuff. Piper was going to be here any minute, and she wanted to be ready. Her foster parents would never know where she was, and they would need her to testify against Rhys. If she wasn't around, they couldn't sue. She was just putting her last magazine in a box when the door opened. She turned around to see Piper enter the room. She ran over to Piper and wrapped her good arm around her in a hug. Piper returned it, and Shea heard the door open again. Expecting to see Chris, she started to say his name. However, when she saw Ryan Scott in the doorway, she froze. Piper was the first to say something.

"Don't worry kiddo. He's fine." Piper whispered encouragingly.

"Belle is gone. She left." Ryan stuttered out.

"Then why are you here." Shea's voice was rude and uninviting.

"I…you mean a lot to me Shea. I wasn't going to sue anyone. I didn't want Belle to do any of those things. I just want you to be happy." Ryan said.

"Oh really. Well how come you suggested that you guys sue Rhys parents. Or how come you smacked me in the head." Shea asked accusingly. Piper thought she had a right to. She didn't know that Ryan had done those things. She too looked at Ryan.

"I didn't want Belle to go off on you. You know she would, if I agreed with you." Ryan said.

"Well. If you want me to be happy, you'll leave. Leave and never come back!" Shea yelled.

Piper was shocked, "Alright. That was a little harsh. Ryan didn't do anything wrong, except for a little smack on the head. He deserves a chance." Piper said, hoping that she could convince Shea.

Shea considered and smiled. "I'm sorry. Really, I am." She said.

"That's alright. I guess I deserved it." Ryan said, as a grin spread across his face.

He stepped across the room and pulled Shea into a hug. She looked overjoyed at this.

"Alright. Let's go." Piper said, as she picked up Shea's stuff and ushered the father and daughter out of the room.


	5. Introductions

Phoebe was pacing the living room. She'd been doing it for the last half-hour, since Piper ran out of the house.

"Would you stop pacing. You're going to burn a hole in the floor." Chris's voice came from out of nowhere.

Phoebe jumped. She had been deep in thought and she forgot that Chris was around.

"Can't you go ask the Elder's what they know about that demon." Phoebe asked.

"Sure. What was it again?" Chris was halfway through orbing when he remembered that he had forgotten the name of the demon.

"Phoebe flipped through the Book of Shadows laying on the coffee table. "It's um… a it's called a Krell warrior." Phoebe looked up at Chris.

"Chris returned the stare. "Alright." He said. He didn't orb however, and remained where he was. He realized that he wasn't breathing.

"I should probably go huh?" Chris asked.

"Uh-huh." Phoebe muttered. She took a step towards Chris, and then another. He took a couple steps towards her and they ended up just inches apart. Chris slowly exhaled.

"I should…" Chris started to say. But then, he looked down at Phoebe and kissed her. She resisted at first, but then gave into it. Suddenly, a car pulled into the driveway and shut off. Car doors opened, and Piper's voice was heard floating through the window. Phoebe and Chris separated. They looked at each other and kissed once more as the front door opened. Chris orbed out just as Piper walked into the threshold. Phoebe went over to meet her.

"Piper. What happened to you when that demon…"Phoebe caught site of two other people with her. One of them was Shea, and the other was a man she didn't know. "That demonstration occurred." Phoebe said, covering her words.

"Phoebes, we can talk about that later. I want you to meet Shea and her foster dad, Ryan Scott." Piper said, pulling Phoebe into the front hall. Ryan extended his hand and said hello. _He's cute. Kind of dark and mysterious. Nice eyes._ Phoebe thought to herself.

"Ryan, you can sleep in my room. It's the 3rd door on the right." Piper instructed, pointing up the stairs.

"Thanks. Is there a bathroom up there?" Ryan asked.

"Yea. It's right across the hall from my room." Piper said.

Ryan walked up stairs and Piper pulled Pier closer to Phoebe.

"Shea, this is my sister Phoebe. Phoebe, this is Shea Scott." Piper said.

Shea reached out her hand towards Phoebe. "Hi." Shea said.

Phoebe extended her own hand and clasped Shea's. Suddenly an eerie blue light shone out of the chandelier above their heads. It lasted for a couple of seconds, and Shea felt a tingle shoot up her spine. As soon they released each other's hand, the light and the tingles disappeared.

"What was that?" Shea said. She was confused and scared, by the look of her facial expression.

"Piper. Didn't that happen when…"Phoebe voice faltered.

"When we first received…with Prue. And with Paige." Piper interjected.

"What was it though?" Shea asked again.

"What was the prophecy?" Phoebe asked, both girls ignoring Pier

"The fifth one possessed the power to glamour. They're also a fire starter, and um…" Piper thought about it.

"Telekinesis." Piper said, suddenly remembering.

"What powers!" Shea screamed at the top of her lungs. Phoebe and Piper both remembered she was standing there.

"Maybe you better sit down or something." Piper suggested gently.

"Maybe you better tell me what's going on." Shea responded.

"Short version: you're our sister. Our mom died when you were…Wait. How old are you?" Phoebe asked.

"I'm 18." Shea said. "Alright. I've never been really good at math, so that would make you…"Phoebe thought hard

"4 ½." Came a voice from the stairs. The girls turned around to see Ryan standing on the top landing.

"How did you know that?" Piper asked accusingly.

"Patty gave Shea to my parents when I was 15. Piper, you were 15 too. Then a year later, my parents were killed by demons, actually Shax. I didn't have anyone, and then I met Belle. We got married and we've been raising Shea ever since." Ryan said as he descended down the staircase.

"You knew my mom?" Phoebe asked.

"Yea. She was a great lady. I knew all four of you guys, even Prue." Ryan responded.

"Wait a minute. Ryan Scott. You were in my bio class sophomore year, and my English class." Piper said, as it all came back to her. "You dropped out your junior when your parents died, and the last we heard, you married the school mascot, and you were living in Los Angeles."

"Yea. I adopted Shea as my own child, and I told everyone that Belle and I were her parents." Ryan said.

"You were the varsity quarterback, beginning your freshman year. Right?" Phoebe asked as it all dawned on her. "Once, my friend claimed that she… well never mind." Phoebe suddenly looked embarrassed.

"Well, anyway…" He said, giving Phoebe a look, "I watched you from a distance. I saw you at Prue's funeral, when you met Paige. I was at Paige's funeral too." He admitted sheepishly. "You were never supposed to find Shea, because the Elder's forbid it, but Fate brought you together/"

"I knew that line sounded familiar!" Piper exclaimed suddenly.

"What line?" Shea asked.

"In the hospital, on the way to Shea's room, you said my name was pretty." Piper said

"Piper, honey. A lot of guys will say that. It means that they want to sleep with you. Not saying that Ryan wanted to sleep with you." She said, glancing at Ryan.

"No. In English class, he sat next to me. You told me everyday how pretty my name was." Piper explained.

"Yea, I did. Didn't I? I was smooth back then." Ryan said, remembering the old days.

"Don't make me puke." Came a voice from the living room. No one had noticed Chris's arrival, and everyone just stared at him until Shea spoke up.

"How did he get in here?" She asked.

Chris looked at Phoebe, who nodded. He orbed and Pier's eyes widened in amazement.

"That was…Awesome!" She exclaimed. "What can I do?"

Piper thought about it for a moment. "Try getting really angry and stare at something. It should blow up in flames."

Shea looked around and laid her eyes on a flower in the living room. Her face showed total determination and concentration as she narrowed her eyes and stared. After about 20 seconds, nothing happened.

"I've got an idea." Ryan said. "My power is glamouring, so…" He transformed into the demon who had attacked them earlier. He advanced on Piper and formed an energy ball in his hand. Just as he was about to throw it at Piper, his sleeve caught on fire. Yelling, he transformed back into Ryan and put out the flames and Piper laughed.

"Oh My God! I'm sorry." Shea apologized over and over again.

"It's alright. At least we found your trigger." He said as Piper poured water from a vase over his shirtsleeve.

Shea was confused. "What is it?" she asked.

"You don't want anyone to get hurt." Ryan said.


	6. Flames of Love

Chris felt an unexpected pang of jealously shoot through his heart. Yea, he had kissed Phoebe about a half-hour earlier, but he couldn't stand to watch Piper flirt with this guy relentlessly. He stared at Ryan, unmercifully. Piper caught the look and stared back at Chris. Phoebe saw them staring at each other, and wondered what was going on. But, before she could say anything, Pier spoke up.

"I don't know about anyone else, but I'm hungry. All they have in that joint is mush, mush, and more mush." She said. Everyone laughed at the face she made when talking about hospital food.

Piper, who was desperate to get away from Chris and to get Ryan and Chris away from each other, offered to cook something up. "Ryan?" She asked. "Could you help me in the kitchen?"

"Ooh." Shea said. "Piper and Ryan sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G. First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes Ryan in the baby carriage!" Shea sang as she ran around the room.

"Shea!" Ryan said, blushing a little. Piper also blushed, and quickly left to go into the kitchen. When Chris saw that Ryan was too busy helping Phoebe make Shea be quiet, he followed her into the kitchen and cornered her.

"Chris. What are you doing?" She asked, her voice filled with fear. She had no way to go around him, and she wasn't going to draw attention to herself by screaming for help.

"Piper, what's going on between you two?" Behind his toughness, Piper could see eyes filled with hurt.

"Chris. Look at me. We both just lost someone whom we loved. We were in a phase and we shared a kiss. It was no big deal." Piper said.

"No. It was. I like you Piper. I mean, I like you a lot." Chris whispered. He leaned forward to kiss her when someone cleared their throat behind them. Chris turned around angrily to see Ryan standing in the doorway.

"Uh Phoebe's looking for you." He said.

Chris stormed out of the kitchen. Ryan turned to Piper, who was still crouched in the corner.

"You alright?" He asked as he lifted her off the ground.

"Yea. I'm fine." She said.

"What was that about?" He asked, genuinely concerned.

"I really have no idea." She replied laughing.

About a half-hour later, Piper called everyone into the kitchen for dinner. It was about 7 o'clock and a perfect time to eat. Pouring the soup into bowls, Ryan passed them out as people sat down at the table.

"Chris. What did the Elder's say about the Krell demons?" Phoebe asked.

"They don't know anything about them." Chris said with a mouthful of food.

"The Elder's don't know. Well, that's a first. I can't bel…" Phoebe stopped and everyone turned to stare at Shea. She was practicing her telekinetic power and was feeding herself with her mind. The spoon was bobbing up and down as she narrowed her eyes and followed it as it dipped into he soup and entered her mouth. She then noticed everyone watching her. Suddenly, the spoon clattered to the table. Everyone laughed.

"What?" She asked. She didn't get what was so funny.

"You are unbelievable, did you know that?" Piper said, still laughing hard.

Suddenly, Shea changed into Piper. "You are unbelievable, did you know that?" She mocked in perfect tone. This got a laugh from the rest of the table.

"What time is it? Phoebe asked.

"It's 7:15." Ryan responded automatically.

"Ah. I have to go." Phoebe yelled, jumping up from the table and gulping a last spoonful of soup. "Thanks for the soup Piper. It was great!" Phoebe ran upstairs and slammed the door behind her.

"What was that all about?" Ryan asked. Before he could answer, Phoebe came running back downstairs. She slid across the kitchen floor and opened the fridge. Grabbing some coke and a cartoon of cookies out of the shelf, she ran back upstairs.

"She's really attached to this movie, 'Kill It Before It Dies' I think it's called. It's on every weekend, and she watches it every Sunday night. It's kind of pathetic, but she's in love with that movie.

Shea finished her soup and stood up. "Chris, can you orb me back to my house so I can get my stuff for school tomorrow? I need to do some homework still."

"Shea. I may be intruding here," Piper said, looking at Ryan. "But I don't think you should go to school tomorrow. I've got an idea. You can come help me set up the club for Ingram Hill to play. How's that sound?"

Shea considered it for a moment. "What club?" She finally asked.

"Oh yea. Sorry. I own P3." Piper said, her voice swelling with pride.

"Well. Alright. But I still have to get clothes. Chris?" Shea turned to Chris with puppy dog eyes.

"Alright. Let's go." Chris grabbed her hand and they disappeared in a flash of blue and white lights, leaving Piper and Ryan alone. They looked at each other.

"I missed you." Ryan said at the same time as Piper. They both laughed nervously.

"Well it's true. If I had held onto you, I would have married you instead of Wyatt." Ryan said, reminiscing.

"But if you had held onto me…where would we be now?" Piper asked, avoiding his eyes as she gathered the dirty dishes.

"We would be married, with 2 kids. And Chris, or whatever his name, wouldn't be around. It would just be us, together." Ryan responded, taking a step towards Piper.

"But I did marry Leo. And Chris is here." Piper said, stating the facts. But then, her curiosity took over. "Why did you let me go?" Piper asked.

"I had to. Shea looked too much like you. You would have gotten suspicious, and you were never supposed to know about her. But I've missed you every day since I left." He said.

"Me too" Piper responded, as she kissed him. "Me too."

Chris orbed into Phoebe's room and wrapped his arms around her. She looked up at him.

"Hey." She said as she handed him a cookie. He kissed he forehead and took the cookie.

"Does Piper know Ryan more than she's letting on?" Chris asked, trying to sound casual.

"Of course. They were high school sweethearts. That is until Ryan left and Leo swept her off her feet." Phoebe said, as Chris's mouth dropped open in shock.

Shea stood in the doorway of the kitchen and smiled happily as she watched Piper and Ryan remember the love they had lost over 10 years ago.

"This is going to be great." She said to herself as she sat down in the living room and turned on the TV.


	7. Proposal and Death

A couple weeks passed and Ryan and Shea moved in permanently. Piper got her room back, and Ryan slept in Paige's old room. Shea bunked with Piper. Everything was going great.

"Hey Ryan?" Piper yelled from the kitchen.

"What?" He yelled back, standing in the doorway.

"Oh." Piper lowered her voice. "I was wondering if you wanted to help me set up at the club?"

"Who's playing?" Ryan asked, brushing his hair out of his eyes.

"Some group called Dishwalla." She responded.

Suddenly, Ryan walked into the kitchen. "Piper did you call…" He stopped short when he saw a look alike talking to Piper. Piper looked up and stared at Ryan, who just walked in. She narrowed her eyes at the Ryan in front of her.

"Shea!" She yelled. The Ryan in front of her glamoured back into Pier and the girl started to laugh.

"Shea!" Ryan's voice boomed through the room, and Pier stopped laughing.

"Yes?" She asked meekly.

"That wasn't very nice." Ryan said, lowering his voice.

"I know. But it was funny." She started to laugh again, but stopped when she saw Ryan's expression. "Sorry Piper." She apologized.

Piper looked back and forth at Ryan and Shea. _God, he'd make a great father. _She thought. "Hey. It's okay, no harm done. At least I didn't kiss you." She said, making her way over to Ryan. As Shea covered her eyes, pretending to be grossed out, Piper kissed Ryan.

"That's so gross you guys." Pier yelled, running out of the room.

Breaking the kiss, Ryan looked at Piper. "I've got great news."

"What? You saved a bunch of money on car insurance?" Piper said jokingly. (A/N: I just had to put it in there. It was necessary.)

"No." Ryan said, chuckling a little. "I got the papers." He waved a small pile of papers in front of her face. She reached out to grab then.

"What paper's?" She asked. Grabbing them, she unfolded them and read them over. She looked up. "You got divorced. It's finalized?" She asked, awed.

"Completely and utterly finalized. And it also allows me to ask you a question. One that I should have asked you over ten years ago." He whispered.

"What?" She looked up at him. He got down on one knee as he pulled a little black velvet box from his pocket.

"Piper Halliwell, will you make me the happiest man on Earth and marry me?" His eyes flickered to hers. Tears formed as she clapped her hand to her heart.

" I don't…I don't know what to say." She said, as he stood up.

"How about yes?" He said as he slipped the cold silver ring on her finger.

"Yes." She whispered. She reached up and put her hands around his neck, kissing him. "Yes."

Shea was walking, in the rain. Piper had forgotten to pick her up again, and she was forced to walk home. The heavy drops pelted on her head as tears streamed down her face.

"This is the third time this week." She said out loud to no one in particular. "How come they keep forgetting me?"

Deciding to take a shortcut through an alley, she turned and peered around the corner before walking through it. Rats scurried across the road as she avoided them. She jumped over abandoned trashcans and heaps of trash that spilt over the dumpsters. Out of nowhere, a demon shimmered in. His red and black skin looked hideous and he bared pointy teeth at her, like he was threatening her. Using her power, she threw him into a dumpster, causing more trash to spill. He quickly recovered and stood up. Forming an energy ball in his hand, he shimmered next to her. Again, she threw him into a trashcan and looked around for some weapon to use. While she had her back to him, he slowly stood. Taking careful aim, so that he would hit her as she turned around, he waited. Finally, she realized that he was back again. She turned to face him as the energy ball sailed through the air in slow motion. When it hit her, it felt like a thousand knives stabbing her, over and over again. She watched as the satisfied demon shimmered out, laughing to himself. Then she dropped to the ground, helpless.

Chris orbed into the manor, looking for Phoebe. He half-expected Shea's usually greeting. He ducked, waiting for the rubber band to come whizzing at his head. But, it never came. Chris wondered where Shea could be. Walking into the kitchen, he found Ryan and Piper hugging. He had gotten over the fact that Piper had chosen Ryan over him, and he was fine with it. He preferred Phoebe anyway. He didn't want to interrupt their moment, but he wanted to know where Shea was. As her whitelighter, he had a certain responsibility. Before he could walk in there, however, Phoebe came up behind him.

"Hey there you." She said happily.

"Have you seen Shea?" He asked, getting right to the point.

Phoebe looked a little hurt. "She went o school this morning. It wasn't my turn to pick her up. I had to pick her up yesterday. Ask Piper." Phoebe said, walking away.

Chris ran to catch her. "Hey there, slow down. I'm sorry, it just. Whenever I orb in, she always gets me mad at her, because she annoys me. But today, she didn't. I think something's wrong." Phoebe saw the fear in his eyes, and let her guard down.

Wrapping him in a hug, she said to him, "Go ask Piper. It was her turn to pick her up." Chris thanked her and kissed Phoebe on the forehead. Phoebe ran back upstairs and Chris headed towards the kitchen. When he got there though, Piper and Ryan had disappeared. He sensed for them, and saw where they were. He laughed and orbed upstairs. Standing outside of Piper's door, he listened to the voices inside.

"I can't believe we're going to get married." Piper exclaimed.

"I know, me neither." Ryan said. They started laughing, and Chris edged the door open. Peeking in, he saw them kissing. As much as he really didn't want to stop them, he had to. He was about to say something, when blue and white lights filled one corner of the room. Chris was leaning against the door, and it crashed open as he saw who had just orbed in. Piper and Ryan had been kissing furiously and were making out on the bed. Piper looked up and a gasp escaped from her mouth. Ryan too, got up and looked. He caught his breath. No one even noticed Chris had been standing there. Piper was only focused on the newcomer.

"Hi Piper." Leo said.

Phoebe heard the crash and dropped her laptop on the bed. Putting on a sweatshirt, because she was wearing a tank top and it was cold, she rushed out of her room and down the hall towards Piper's. She saw Chris standing still, his mouth open and hanging down to his feet. As she entered the room more, she saw Piper lying on top of Ryan, who had rolled over. They were both staring into space, or so it looked like to Phoebe. Their mouths were open wide, just like Chris. Phoebe took a couple more steps into the room and gasped herself.

"Oh my God. Leo?" She whispered as he hand fluttered to her mouth and her heart skipped a beat.

Shea had been lying on the ground for what seemed like hours, but had only been 10 minutes. _So this is what dying feels like_ she said to herself. _Maybe, I can be a whitelighter, or something. I can be really good_ she promised the Elders, looking up at the sky. When she had left school, it was around 5:30. It was now around 6:00, if Pier's watch was right. The sun had started to set, and the horizon lit up the sky. _At least I can die as the sun sets,_ she thought. _That's seems like it would be a cool way to die._ Gasping for breath, she closed her eyes and said a Hail Mary. She thanked God for blessing her with Ryan and Piper, Phoebe, Chris and all of her friends. She took a deep breath and let it all go, watching her hot breath make circles in the cold air. She closed her eyes and laid her head back. She didn't fight anymore.

Chris was the first one to react. Closing his mouth, he swallowed hard. "Piper. Did you pick Shea up today?" He asked.

Piper looked as if someone had just smacked her in the face. "Oh No. I forgot to pick her up." She said, getting off the bed and walking towards Chris.

"Who's Shea?" Asked a confused Leo from the corner.

"Leo. Come with me. We'll talk." Said Phoebe, gently pulling Leo down he hall and the down the stairs.

Chris tried to sense Pier. He felt her presence, but it was weak. "Something's not right. Her presence is fading. Come on!" He grabbed Piper's hand and orbed to Shea. Piper saw Shea lying there and screamed. She rushed over to her and lifted her limp head off the ground.

"Come on Shea! Wake up!" Piper yelled as Chris moved his hands over her blood stained stomach, trying to heal the wound. "Why won't it work Chris?" Piper asked.

"I can't heal the dead. And Shea's dead." Chris said, lowering his head in defeat.

Piper held Shea close to her. She started to cry, the tears slowly rolling down her cheek. "I'm so sorry I didn't pick you up. I meant to. Really I did. But… I forgot. I'm so sorry." Piper wailed as the rain started to hit harder. The globs became heavier as Piper's tears fell more freely. A single tear rolled off Piper's chin and onto Shea's wound. A golden light shone from Shea's wound as yet another tear touched its surface. Another one fell and soon the wound was completely healed. Chris watched on in amazement. Shea's eye's fluttered, but Piper was still bending over her, crying.

"God Almighty. Piper, save some tears for the rest of us, would you?" Shea's voice said, raspy.

"What? How?" Piper asked dumbfounded.

"Don't ask me. All I know is that I was flying, and then I landed. I was flying Piper." Shea said, as if she was remembering a distant memory, not something that happened 5 minutes ago.

Piper laughed and helped Shea stand up. She held her hand, and Chris grabbed Shea's other hand.

"Jeez Piper. You really know how to wreck someone's day." Shea said as they all disappeared in blue lights.


	8. Leo's Back

Phoebe led Leo down the stairs. They entered the living room and sat down.

"Was that… Ryan Scott?" Leo asked out of nowhere.

"Yea. It was. Listen, a lot has happened since you um…died. Which is weird. Why aren't you dead? Not that I'm not glad to see you, but I was just wondering." Phoebe asked, being blunt.

"I'm a whitelighter. I was killed, but the Elders gave me a…3rd chance. Who's Pier, and why is Ryan Scott upstairs kissing my wife." Leo said, standing up in Phoebe's face. Phoebe pushed him back down.

"Alright. You were dead and Piper needed to move on. Shea was in a car accident right outside the manor. We found out that she's another little sister. Anyway, Ryan was pretending to be her foster dad, but it was really Ryan's parents that were Shea adoptive parents and when they died, Ryan took care of Shea. But then Shea had the accident and Piper, Chris and I rescued her, but her three friends died. When Ryan's ex-wife kicked him, he and Shea moved in here. That was about a month ago. And you know how Piper and Ryan were high school sweethearts, right. Well Ryan just proposed to Piper, and she excepted." Phoebe told the story in one breath. A look of pure hatred crossed Leo's usually happy face.

"I'll kill him." He muttered loud enough for Phoebe to hear.

"Oh no you won't." Came a voice from the corner of the room. No one had noticed that Piper, Chris and a smiling Shea had orbed into the room during Phoebe's story. Pier smile dropped when she saw Leo.

"I'm going to find Ryan." She said, walking around the room, careful to avoid Leo. Piper looked at her funny, but she didn't see the look and continued up the stairs.

Piper looked back at Leo. Chris and Phoebe exchanged a glance and sat down in chairs. Piper remained standing.

"Leo. Why did you come back." She asked, clearly exhausted. She had almost lost a sister today, and when you've already lost tow before that, she didn't want to go through the trauma again.

"Because you're my wife, and I'm your whitelighter." He shouted back in response.

"No Leo. You are not our whitelighter anymore. Chris is. And you're not…you're not my husband anymore. Our marriage died when you did." Piper turned her face to hide the salty tears dripping down it.

"What happened to you. To us. We used to be so in love. When did you become so cold." Leo was standing in front of Piper now. He grabbed her chin and forced her to look at him.

"Leo. You died. And in my heart, I've always loved Ryan." Piper said, staring into his eyes.

Leo turned away defeated. "Well who's this Shea girl." He asked.

Phoebe replied, desperate to end the anger between Leo and Piper. "Shea is our other baby sister. Her dad was our dad, unlike Paige's dad…" Phoebe's voice faltered at Paige's name.

"So what? This girl, this 18-year-old girl, is going to be the new Paige. She's going to replace her like Paige replaced Prue, huh?" Leo demanded.

Piper was angry, and a fire blazed in her eyes. "Paige never replaced Prue, and Paige could never be replaced!"

"Well," came a voice from the front hall. "I'm glad to know that some people still think I was a pretty good witch."

Shea had opened the door to see Ryan sitting on the end of Piper's bed. His head was in his hands. She quietly entered the room and closed the door silently behind her. She went and sat down next to him, and looked up, his eyes bloodshot.

"What if she changes her mind, and goes back with him." He whispered. He hadn't expected Leo to show up. "Piper told me he was dead. And now he's…he's back. What if I have to let her go again."

"That won't happen. She loves you, and she knows you love her. She said yes to you. And I know that she won't back out. She loves you to much." Shea put her hand on his shoulder and the warm of her hand spread through him. He turned to face her. He had stopped crying, but the tear marks were still apparent down his cheeks. She reached across the bed and grabbed a tissue. She handed it to him and he wiped his eyes.

"You are such a perfect daughter." Ryan said, pride swelling in his voice.

"Too bad I'm your almost sister-in-law." Shea said laughing.

Ryan laughed too, and pulled her onto the bed. He tickled her, until her sides hurt and she was almost crying.

"Say 'Ryan is the best father ever.' Say it now." Ryan demanded.

"Ryan is the best father eve…" Shea said, when a scream interrupted her. She looked at Ryan and they ran down the stairs. Ryan stopped short when he saw the raven-haired girl, about 25. She looked just like the rest of the Halliwells. Shea didn't see Ryan stop, and she crashed into him. She slipped underneath his arm, and rolled down the remainder 10 stairs. She landed on her back and looked up. Her vision was blurry and she tried to focus. She closed her eyes and opened them again, and stared directly up at a girl who looked just like her.

"Paige?" Whispered a voice.

"The one and only." Paige said, smiling triumphantly.


	9. Memories

Piper sat down, shocked by what she saw. Memories flashed before her in her mind as she looked at Paige.

Paige: I, the door was open. I'm sorry. I shouldn't be here.

Paige turned to leave but Phoebe stopped her.

_Phoebe: No, no, no. No, no. We were just coming to look for you._

_Paige: You were?_

_Phoebe: Yep. Come on in. Welcome. I'm Phoebe. And this is..._

_Phoebe hooked her arm into Paige's and walked over to Piper and Leo._

_Paige: Piper. I know. I've been to your club. Pretty great._

_Piper: Thank you. And you are?_

_Paige: Paige. My name is Paige._

_Phoebe: Hmm. Another P. Imagine that._

_Piper: It's nice to meet you. _

_Piper shook Paige's hand. A bright blue shined over the girls._

_Paige: Okay. What was that?_

_Leo: I think that means you're supposed to be here. _

Piper remembered that day like it was yesterday. It was the day of Prue's funeral. Piper had been so…so upset and angry at everyone. The last thing she needed was another sister coming in and taking Prue's place. But, Paige wasn't like that. Piper remembered when Phoebe and herself had tried to convince Paige that she was a witch, and that she had powers.

_Piper: Hi. _

_She froze Sister Agnes. _

_Piper: Hey, what's up? We need to get you out of here._

_Paige: What did you do to her?_

_Phoebe: Oh, she just froze her. She'll be fine._

_Piper: Yeah. Lucky I didn't blow her up. My powers have been a little off lately._

_Phoebe: Piper. _

_Phoebe pointed at the blanket Paige is holding._

_Piper: Is that our blanket? _

_Piper tried to touch it, but Paige pulls it away._

_Paige: No! That's mine! Leave me alone! _

_She turned to leave._

_Piper: All right! Gee. _

_Piper and Phoebe followed Paige._

_Phoebe: Paige. Paige. Paige._

_Piper: Stop or I'll freeze! _

_Paige stopped and turned. Phoebe and Piper stopped as well.)_

_Phoebe: (To Piper) She's a witch. You can't freeze her._

_Piper: (To Phoebe) She doesn't know that._

_Paige: Will you please just leave me alone? _

_Paige continued to walk towards the main exit._

_Phoebe: Look, we know what you're going through. We went through the same thing when we first found out we were witches, too._

_Piper: Look. You just got to trust us. Somebody very, very bad is after you. (Paige stops and turns around.)_

_Paige: Trust you? You just froze a nun? How do I know you're not the bad ones?_

_Piper: Well if we are, then you are, sister._

_Phoebe: Piper. _

_Paige turned to leave._

_Piper: What? Fine. Then you try._

_Phoebe: (To Paige) you have a magical power, you know. _

_Paige stopped and turned. Phoebe and Piper came closer to Paige to talk._

_Phoebe: Mmm. At least, if you're really a Charmed One, you do. And the sooner you learn it, the sooner you'll be able to protect yourself._

_Paige: I have a power?_

_Piper: According to the prophecy, the third sister has the power to move things with her mind. Like Prue could._

_Paige: How does it work?_

_Phoebe: You concentrate on an object like that candle right there. _

_She pointed at the candle a few feet away._

_Phoebe: And then you just wave your arm at it._

_Phoebe demonstrated and waves her arm. Paige tried it, but nothing happened. She looked to Piper and Phoebe._

_Piper: Or, uh, you could squint your eyes. She used to squint her eyes._

_Paige waved her hand at the candle and squinted but nothing happened to the candle. She turned back to the others._

_Paige: Well, maybe I'm not one of you after all if I can't even make that candle… _

_Paige raised out her hand in the candle's direction. The candle was surrounded by blue and white bright lights and disappeared and reappeared in Paige's outstretched hand. Paige handed the candle slowly to Phoebe. _

_Paige: Oh._

_Phoebe: So perhaps the whitelighter in her makes it work differently? _

_Phoebe blew out the candle and set it aside._

_Piper: Half-breed._

Piper remembered how she hadn't been so receptive towards Paige. She hated her at first, partly because she wasn't Prue. But in the end, Piper had grown to love Paige. She remembered when the Angel of Destiny had come to the girls, telling them that they could give up their powers. Paige had been against it, but Piper and Phoebe had been all for it. In the end, Paige had convinced Piper and Phoebe to continue the Charmed Destiny.

_Angel of Destiny: Actually, it's because of a demon that I've come to see you. Which in and of itself is very rare. We Angels of Destiny normally don't intervene except in extraordinary situations. Mozart at age seven, Michelangelo, Albert Einstein... Britney Spears._

_Paige: Huh?_

_Phoebe: I don't understand._

_Angel of Destiny: You three have accomplished something that few others ever dream of. By vanquishing the Source of all evil, you have fulfilled your shared destiny, much earlier than anticipated. Truth be told, some of us did think you'd never achieve it at all, but that's really beside the point. What's important is you have and because of that we're offering you a reward, a chance to chart a new destiny, one of your own design._

_Paige: A reward?_

_Angel of Destiny: You can continue to remain as you are, charmed, vested with all your witchly powers, and of course demonic burdens. Or..._

_Piper: Or?_

_Angel of Destiny: You can choose to relinquish your magic and lead normal lives again, unaccounted, free, we'd wipe the entire slate clean, nobody would come after you again. Well, what do you say?_

_Piper: What do we say? Are you kidding? You can't just freeze the whole world and come in here and drop a bombshell like that and expect a quick decision. I don't care who you are._

_Angel of Destiny: I don't think you quite grasp the uniqueness of this opportunity._

_Piper: No, I'm grasping it but that is beside the point. The least you could do is give us a little time to think about it._

_Paige: Think about what? No time needed. Thanks but no thanks. Right?_

_Phoebe: Yeah, right, of course right. But, you know, as long as he's offering, maybe we should talk about this. Just talk about it. Over there. Right, right over here please, now, excuse us._

_(She pulled them across the room.)_

_Paige: You can't be serious, Phoebe, you of all people, you love being a witch._

_Phoebe: I know I do, but I..._

_Paige: But what? What has changed?_

_Phoebe: Oh, I don't know, I became queen of the Underworld and nearly died carrying baby Lucifer. That's what changed, Paige._

_Piper: Paige, it's just that we've been doing this a lot longer than you have, and I'm not trying to discount all the good that we've done or that we could do. But at the same time I'm not gonna minimize the costs. Paige, I can't get pregnant because of what we do._

_Phoebe: Punching out demons just isn't as much fun as it used to be._

_Paige: So what are you gonna say?_

_Angel of Destiny: She's saying you need some time, which I'll grant, but not too much time. After all, other people's destinies are tied to yours. And since it's your charmed destiny that's at stake here, majority will rule. Two sisters will decide the fate of all three. So consider your choice wisely. Perhaps what happens next will help you to decide._

_Piper: I knew he'd never give up those files. In case anybody is wondering we are officially screwed._

_Phoebe: Not necessarily._

_Paige: No, we are not giving up our powers._

_(She stormed over to the couch and sat down.)_

_Phoebe: Paige, I don't want to give up our powers either. But I don't want to give up our lives even more. He's just gonna keep using us._

_Piper: Unless we let the angel wipe the slate clean. Look, Paige, we said we would wait to decide until this thing played out and it has. And frankly if the angel hadn't made this offer I'd probably think differently and I'd think let's just keep fighting. But I'm tired of fighting and Jackman's right, it is never ending._

_Phoebe: Unless we end it ourselves. So do we need to talk to Leo about this first?_

_Piper: No, it doesn't have anything to do with him, it's just us. And he will understand._

_Paige: You guys are only seeing the bad. What about all the wonder of being witches, the stuff you introduced me to in the first place. You're gonna let all that go?_

_Phoebe: Paige, it doesn't balance out anymore. And after everything that we've lost, it doesn't seem worth it._

_Paige: What about all the good we've done. Doesn't that count for anything?_

_Piper: Of course it does but that's exactly why we have this choice to make. He said we fulfilled our destiny, we've done it. This is supposed to be our reward for that._

_Paige: Yeah, well, pardon me if it didn't seem like much of a reward, because without being witches I wouldn't have sisters._

_Angel of Destiny: Are you sure about this?_

_Phoebe: Yeah. As sure as we're ever gonna be._

_Angel of Destiny: You understand this decision is final. There'll be no changing your minds._

_Piper: We understand._

_Angel of Destiny: Very well._

_(He closed his eyes and raised his arms.)_

_Piper: Hold it. Just so we're clear this wipes the entire slate clean. No read the find print technicalities, no more demons, no more vengeful warlocks._

_Phoebe: And we won't have to worry about Agent Jackman anymore, or anyone else who might have found out we were witches?_

_Piper: Exactly. Just free to lead normal lives with no demonic aftertaste._

_Angel of Destiny: Absolutely._

_Paige: Will we remember? Being witches that is._

_Angel of Destiny: Oh, you'll remember everything. It doesn't change your history, only your future._

_Paige: And what about the book?_

_Angel of Destiny: It'll pass as some future descendent._

_Piper: Well, maybe Paige is right. We did do a lot of good. What happens when a demon attacks someone else? Who's going to take care of it?_

_Angel of Destiny: Majority rules, remember. If this is the way you want it, speak now._

_Paige: Phoebe?_

_Phoebe: Fine. I guess I've grown pretty attached to it anyway._

_Angel of Destiny: Good choice._

Everything had been great between the three girls, even when Paige had tried to kill Cole. And then there was Piper's ever constant arguing with Paige, but the sisters had always worked around it. Until Paige died.

_Paige looked outside to see Piper getting in her car. Paige grabbed her jacket and ran outside._

_Paige: Piper where are you going!_

_Piper: Cole took Phoebe. I know where he's going.'_

_Paige got in the car just as Piper pealed out of the driveway._

_Paige: Where is he taking her?_

_Piper: To the mausoleum. We have to get her._

_Paige: He won't hurt her Piper. He loves her._

_Piper: I know. But…_

_Paige: But we have to save her. I know. And we will. _

_Paige wrapped her arm around Piper as they got out of the car. Piper always wondered why they didn't orb. But to her, it never really mattered. They entered the mausoleum slowly, looking around for Phoebe. The saw her, lying on the floor, her head resting on a tomb in the center of the room. Cole was nowhere to be seen._

_Piper: Phoebe! _

_Piper rushed towards Phoebe and grabbed her off the floor. Phoebe moaned in pain._

_Paige: O my God. Did her hurt you._

_Phoebe: No I'm fine._

_Out of nowhere, a darklighter shimmered in, along with Cole. The girls didn't see them, and continued a family hug type thing._

_Cole: Well, well, well. The whole family decided to show up. Rollin, if you were in my position, what would you do about this?_

_Rollin: Well boss. I'd probably get rid of them._

_Rollin looked at Cole and a sly smile stretched across Cole's unshaven face. _

_Cole: Well. There's just a couple of things wrong with that plan. See, I wouldn't kill Phoebe, cause I love her. And Piper, Piper's okay. She can stick around. So really, I only have to get rid of one person. Paige._

_Piper pulled Paige closer to her and pushed her behind her._

_Piper: Don't you dare Cole._

_Cole: Paige ruined everything. If Paige had never been introduced to this stupid family, everything would have been perfect! I wouldn't have to ruin this family. God! She screwed up the whole stupid plan!_

_Piper: But you don't want to kill her. Think of the pain that you would put Phoebe through if you killed Paige. You don't want to hurt Phoebe, do you?_

_Cole: No I don't. But, I'm going to have to. _

_Rollin lifted his bow and arrow and aimed. He shot it. It moved in slow motion, and the girls watched it. It hit Paige slowly. She crumpled to the ground, bleeding from the arrow. The color drained from her face as the poison spread throughout her body. Cole smiled slightly and shimmered out. Rollin did too, but then reappeared in the shadows. _

_Piper: Paige! O God, no!_

_Phoebe: Cole! Get back here!_

_Cole shimmered in, unaware of the vial of potion in Phoebe's hand. Phoebe threw it at him and he disappeared in a ball of flames. Phoebe dropped to the ground exhausted._

_Piper: Leo! Leo!_

_Leo appeared in a flash of blue orbs. He saw Paige lying on the ground and he rushed over to her. Rollin took steady aim from the shadows, and squeezed the trigger. The long circular arrow ejected out of the bow. It hit Leo and he cried out in pain._

_Piper: Leo! No Leo!_

_Paige: Piper. Piper. I need to tell you…I need to tell you that I love you. You were the best thing that ever happened to me. This family is._

_Piper: No Paige. Don't you dare die on me. Don't you dare._

_Paige: I'm so sorry. Sorry, sorry, sor…_

_Then Paige's head dropped. Piper leaned over her body and cried. Phoebe reached for Piper's hand and squeezed it. The Piper remembered Leo, but he was already gone._

Piper remembered the fear of losing a sister. She crossed the hall and helped Shea off the ground. She pulled Shea into a hug as her eyes shown with love. Shea looked up at Piper and saw this love. Shea snuggled deeper into he hug and she felt safe. But when she saw Paige, the safeness disappeared.


	10. Paige and the Truth

After a few moments of staring, Paige silently ushered everyone into the living to sit down. Shea stood in the far corner. Paige looked at her, somewhat upset that Shea wouldn't come near her. Piper, who saw the look and tension pass between them, caught Shea's eye and motioned for her to come sit down on the couch. Trying to be polite and discreet, Shea just shook her head. Piper gave her a look that said '_Get your tiny little butt over here. NOW!'_

Shea sat down next to Piper, farthest away from Paige as she could possibly go without falling of the edge of the couch.

"Paige?" Phoebe asked. Paige turned in Phoebe's direction and smiled. "Not that I'm not happy to see you, but what are you doing here?" Phoebe asked, confused.

Paige chuckled slightly. "Pheebs. I missed you so much, all of you. But let's cut to the chase. I've got 48 here on earth before I have to go back 'up there.' While I'm here, we have to get this situation worked out." When she said this, Paige pointed her finger in Shea's direction. Shea stood up offended.

"I'm not the damn situation!" Shea yelled loudly.

"Shea!" Ryan yelled. He was on his feet too. Shea turned to face him, anger flashing in her eyes.

"No. You cannot and will not tell me what to do." Shea said calmly, taking a step towards him.

"I can tell you what to do. I'm your legal guardian. I have the right to." Ryan retorted. Shea turned and stormed out of the living room. Stomping on the stairs, she ran into a room and slammed the door. Ryan sighed and started to head after her, but Paige stopped him.

"Let me go." She said confidently. Ryan looked at Piper and she nodded. Ryan nodded at Paige and Paige descended up the stairs.

Leo looked at Ryan and Piper and shook his head.

"I was always competing with you Scott. And you said you would get the girl. I though I beat you this once." Leo said, a slight smile forming on his face.

Ryan laughed. "You never could beat me Wyatt. I was better at everything. The grades, the games, the girls. Face it, I was the man." Ryan responded.

Leo rolled his eyes. "Yea, okay. Who got the girl during high school?" Leo asked.

Ryan came back quickly. "Who's got the girl now?"

Piper cut in. "Can you not talk about me like I'm some prize from a vending machine?" She asked, a smile on her face. Leo and Ryan looked at each other and said at the same time, "Nope."

Now Phoebe cut in. "What do you think they're talking about up there?" She asked. Everyone turned to face the stairs, wishing they could hear what was going on.

Shea sat on the edge of her bed, facing the wall. She heard the door open and sighed.

"Go away." She said coldly.

"Not until we talk." Paige's voice rang out from the doorway. Shea turned around quickly and looked at Paige.

"I'm not talking to you." Shea said, once again putting a mask over her face and voice.

"Why the hell not?" Paige asked, crossing the floor to stand in front of Shea.

Shea tried to turn so that Paige couldn't see her tears, but she had already. Paige kneeled down in front of Shea and grasped her hands. She looked at Paige.

"What's wrong sweetie?" Paige asked, genuinely concerned. Shea just shook her head, but started to tell Paige anyway.

"You know what it's like to be an orphan. You were one, and then you got adopted. But you were adopted when you were younger. I wasn't adopted until I was 16. Ryan's downstairs feeding everyone some bullshit story about me living with him my whole life. But that's not true, and only you know that. And when you stopped coming to the orphanage to see me, I got really lonely. I missed you. You found these sisters, your parents, your family and you didn't need me anymore." Shea said, tears continuing to roll down her cheeks. Paige reached out and wiped the tears away.

"Don't cry. Please don't cry." Paige asked softly.

"What am I going to tell them. How am I going to tell them?" Shea asked as she rolled on her stomach across the bed. Paige stood up and walked to the other side of the bed.

"Tell them what?" Paige asked, although she already knew the answer.

Shea looked at Paige. They looked a lot like each other. Both had Prue's raven black hair, and Paige and Shea shared the same intense hazel eyes.

"That I'm not really 18, that I'm only 16. And how about the fact that Patty and Victor aren't even my folks. How do I explain to them that my dad is one of the most powerful demons in the freaking underworld? And that my mom…" Shea's voice trailed off. Paige, who had turned her back to Shea to hide her own tears, heard only silence. She turned around and her heart caught in her throat. Standing in the doorway, Piper had an icy look on her face. She looked pissed. She pointed to Paige and Shea and shut the door.

"We need to talk. NOW." Piper hissed.


	11. Fighting and Running

Shea looked at Paige and Paige shook her head. They had been caught. There was no way they were getting out of this one.

"What the hell are you two talking about?" Piper asked, rage and confusion filled her voice.

Shea looked at Paige, silently pleading with her to explain, but Paige looked away. Shea stared at her in disbelief, and just refused to say anything.

Piper asked again. "What the hell is going on!"

Paige spoke up now. "How much did you hear?" She asked meekly.

"Enough." Piper hissed.

Shea sighed. This was all going downhill.

"Well, you see Piper…" Paige started to say.

"Don't sugar coat it. Just tell me what you were talking about." Piper interrupted.

"Alright. I'm not 18. I'm actually only 16. And we aren't sisters." Shea said looking at the ground.

Piper gave Paige a confused look. "You knew about this?"

Paige nodded, somewhat embarrassed.

Piper looked stunned. " I can't believe this? Who are you then? A demon, a spy?"

Shea shook her head. "None of the above. I'm…family." Was all she said.

"Family?" Piper asked.

Shea nodded. "Family." She repeated.

"Just how much of family are you?" Piper asked. Again, Shea looked at Paige.

"Stop! Answer the question yourself. Without looking at Paige." Piper practically yelled.

Shea was taken aback, but answered her question.

"Um…niece." Shea muttered.

"Niece?" Piper asked, her voice caught in her throat.

"When Prue was about…18 or so, she got, well…pregnant. She was in college, you were here with Grams, and Phoebe was in New York. No one knew, until Paige found out." Shea explained.

"How did you know Paige?" Piper asked, directing the question at Paige.

"I was her social worker." Paige's answer was simple.

"When Paige figured out who I was, she tried to tell you, but um…well…she died." Shea said, cutting in.

"Who's your dad?" Came the question that Shea had been dreading.

Downstairs, Phoebe sat with Leo, Chris and Ryan. They were all waiting anxiously for the other three to return.

"So…"Phoebe said, attempting to start some conversation. No one seemed interested.

"What's taking them so long?" Ryan asked impatiently from his seat on the couch.

Leo shook his head. "I have no idea."

Chris was about to open his mouth when the sounds of footsteps were heard coming down the stairs. The four of the stood up and walked towards the stairs, when Shea ran by them, tear stains down her cheeks. She headed for the front door and flung it open. Looking back at them once, she continued out the door, grabbing her coat. The door slammed as Paige came running down the stairs.

"Shea!" Paige yelled, running after her. She opened the door, but Shea was nowhere to be seen. Letting out a sigh, Paige turned around to face Phoebe, Leo, Chris, and Ryan. Paige let out another sigh and walked by them up the stairs. Phoebe looked at the guys and nodded. They ran up the stairs and went into Shea's room. Piper was sitting on the bed, staring into space. Paige was pacing, stopping sometimes to shake her head. Leo spoke up first.

"What happened?" He asked.

Paige just shook her head. Piper mumbled under her breath.

"I'm sorry, I didn't catch that." Phoebe said.

"I said she left." Piper replied.

"Well duh Sherlock Holmes," Phoebe responded sarcastically.

"Phoebe? Not now." Paige said, sighing.

"I believe that the question was why she left." Phoebe said.

"Argument." Came Piper's response.

"That bad, huh?" Leo asked.

Paige nodded.

"Well why aren't you scrying?" Chris asked. Ryan nodded and continued to look out the window. Paige caught his eye.

"No need." She said simply.

"Why?" Leo asked, confused.

"I know where she's going." Ryan responded, walking out of the room. Everyone stood there until Paige ran after Ryan.

"Wait for me!" She yelled, flying down the stairs. She hopped into his running car and the drove off.

Upstairs, Piper watched them drive off. She walked out of the room, Phoebe following her. Walking towards the attic staircase, she walked up. When she got to the attic, she slammed the door in Phoebe's face and locked. Setting up the area, she proceeded to summon her sister.


	12. The Other

Shea stopped running and tried to catch her breath. She looked around. Knowing where she was, she continued to walk through the empty, dimly lit streets. After a couple of minutes of watching her hot breath make smoke in the cold air, she found what she was looking for. The paint was crumbling and the yard was a mess. She walked up to the door.

"Colin!" She yelled, pounding on the door.

A boy appeared at the screen. He looked Shea's age, and had the same eyes. His face was spotted with dirt. Behind him, Shea could see a couple of beer bottles on the floor, empty. She pushed by him and shut the door behind her. Moving some clothes off of an armchair in the corner of the room, she sat down.

"What's up Shea?" He asked. His Boston accent was evident.

"I slipped up." Was all she said as she took his beer bottle out of his hand and chugged some. He took it back from her.

"What do you mean 'slipped up'?" Colin asked.

Shea shook her head. "Paige came back from the dead and we were talking and I said something. Piper was standing at the door and she heard it. Then I had to tell her." Shea responded.

Outside, a car door slammed. Headlights, which had illuminated the room, were shut off. Shea looked at Shawn, fear apparent in her eyes. He was a mirror image. Suddenly, someone pounded on the front door.

"Shea! I know you're in there! Open the door!" Ryan's voice seeped in through the rickety frame of the door.

Shea leaned against the door and put her full weight into it. Colin saw what she was doing and joined her. Behind them, blue and white orbs filled to room. Shea stepped back, but couldn't go anywhere. Colin even though he knew about magic had never seen anyone orb before, and his eyes widened, as Paige appeared, an angry look on her face. Shea stepped towards Colin and the pressure on the door was gone, causing Ryan to fall through. Another set of bright lights filled the room and this time Leo appeared with Piper. A couple of seconds later, Chris showed up with Phoebe.

"Piper I still don't get why you tried to summon Prue." Phoebe was saying.

"Just forget it." Piper responded. Both of them looked at Colin who had wrapped his arms around Shea.

Shea could tell that Colin was freaked out and Shea grabbed his trembling hand for support. She shot him a reassuring glance, and he nodded. Everyone had formed a circle around them now and they knew that there was no escape. Then Shea got an idea. Shea looked at Colin and tried to tell him what she was thinking. He got the message. Colin kicked out at Ryan and swiped his feet out from under him. Ryan hit the ground with a thud and Piper ran to him. Shea used her power and Leo's shirt started to smoke. As Leo put out the fire, Chris started towards the two standing in the middle of the room. He grabbed Shea roughly by the shirt collar. Colin waved his arm and Chris went flying through the air, hitting the wall on the other side of the room. Phoebe and Piper turned towards Shea and Colin. They waved their arms and the two girls went spinning off in different directions. Shea and Colin ran towards the door. Shea looked back once and concentrated on the curtains, immediately, they erupted in flames. When smoke completely covered the room, Shea and Colin ran off into the night, fire engines echoing in the background.

Piper thanked the ambulance attendants and walked towards Leo, Ryan, Chris and Paige. They were watching a fireman bandage and treat the burn on Phoebe's upper arm. Phoebe winced in pain, and Piper shot her a sympathetic look.

"When I see her…" Phoebe started to say, but shut her mouth when she noticed the fireman looking at her strangely. "When I see Her..bert he'll be surprised at what happened." She said, hoping it covered up her mistake

"What exactly did happen?" A voice came from behind the 6 of them. They turned around. A cop was standing there, tapping his pen against the small notebook in his hand. He brushed his blond hair out of his green eyes and looked at them, expecting and answer.

"Well?" He asked.

Piper shot Paige and Phoebe a look. Paige just stared back at the cop. Piper shook her head and turned back to the cop, only to find him staring back at Paige.

"Paige? Paige Matthews?" He asked.

Paige nodded and gulped.

The cop smiled and started to laugh. "Rumor had it that you were dead." He said. Piper looked up. _Oh crap_ she though to herself. Staring at the others, she realized that was what they were thinking too.

Paige nodded silently. "I was…still am." She said. Phoebe gasped, but neither Paige nor the cop made any reference to it.

"Wow. Sorry about the whole dying thing, but congrats on come back from the dead." The cop said laughing.

"What are you doing here Stock?" Paige asked, irritation in her voice.

"I'm a cop now." Stock replied.

"Yea. I got that. But I meant what are you doing up here?" Paige said, as if talking to a small child.

"What? Can't I even have a little freedom?" Stock asked, obviously hurt. He turned towards the others.

"So. You must be the other sisters. Piper and Phoebe right? And you must be Leo. But, I don't know who you 2 are." He stated, looking at Chris and Ryan.

They were both caught off guard and took a moment to respond.

"Uh. Ryan. Ryan Scott." Ryan stuttered out.

Stock turned to Chris.

"Chris Perry." Chris responded calmly. "And you are?" He asked.

"Stockard Tanner. But everyone calls me Stock." Stock replied in an equally calm manner. He flashed a smile at them and turned back to Paige. She was angry; her facial expressions showed that. But her eyes, by the look of them she seemed to be hurt, or even regretful.

"You want to know what happened?" She asked, her voice rising.

Stock didn't notice the volume or anger in her voice. "Sure why not. It's my job, right?" He replied as he flipped open his notebook and poised his pen over the clean page.

"Well. It's not a reason that a cop could understand." Paige said, taunting him. Curiosity aroused in his eyes.

"Come on Paige. What have I ever done to you?" He whined. Paige's eye's lit up. That seemed to be the answer she was waiting for.

"What have you done to me? Nothing. But ask yourself this question: What have you done to the girl who started this whole mess? With her father's powers!" Paige said loudly. Immediately, Piper clamped her hand over Paige's mouth. She looked around.

"Orb out." She demanded. She removed her hand off of Paige's mouth. Paige tried to protest but Piper put her hand back. "Orb us back to the manor. Now." She said again. Paige sighed. Piper nodded to everyone else.

"I assume you can shimmer." She said coldly to Stock. He nodded proudly. "And I assume, that since you can shimmer, you must be a demon." Again, he nodded. "And since you are a demon, I assume you know where the Halliwell Manor is?" She asked.

"You sure assume a lot, but you're right. I can shimmer, I am a demon, and I do know where the Halliwell Manor is." Stock replied.

"Then meet us there." Piper replied as she nodded to Chris, Phoebe, Leo and Ryan. Ryan touched Leo's shoulder and they were gone. Chris grabbed Phoebe's hand and then Piper, Paige and Stock were the only one's left. Stock waved and shimmered out. Piper turned to Paige.

"There better be a really, I mean really, good explanation for all of this." She said threateningly. Paige nodded, still unable to speak due to Piper's hand.

"Alright. Let's go home." Piper said as they orbed out.

Emerging from the shadows that served as their hiding place, Shea and Colin walked to the spot that the 7 of them had been standing. Colin walked around it, like a dog trying to find a good spot to sleep. Shea looked at the house, with it's charred walls and broken windows. She sighed. They would have to find someplace to sleep for the night. She motioned to Colin and he grabbed her hand. They shimmered out.


	13. He's Back

Piper and Paige orbed into the living room to find everyone waiting for them. Ryan was sitting in an armchair; Chris was leaning back into the couch, Phoebe at his side. Leo was pacing behind the couch, and Stock had stretched out in the other armchair. Paige kicked his feet and he made room for her. She sat on the arm and Piper sat down next to Phoebe on the couch. They all looked at Paige and Stock. Stock smiled and looked up Paige. She looked at him, disgusted.

"I'm sorry. I can't do this." She said as she started to get up. Phoebe jumped to her feet.

"What do you mean?" She yelled

"I promised. I promised her and I'm not about to break that particular promise." Paige yelled in response.

"Who is 'she'?" Phoebe asked, her voice lowering.

"If I could tell you that, I would. But I can't." Paige said, lowering her own voice.

"Why can't you tell us." Phoebe asked, hurt in her eyes.

"I've explained this already. I made a promise to keep something a secret. And unlike you, I can keep a promise. No offense." Paige said.

Phoebe smiled. "None taken. But does Stock have anything to do with this secret?" Phoebe asked innocently.

"Maybe, maybe not" Paige responded, a smile stretching across her face.

Phoebe pouted. "Please Paigey?" She whined.

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"Pretty please?"

"Phoebe."

"Pretty please with sugar on top?"

"No Phoebe Halliwell. I won't tell you." Paige said sternly.

Someone knocked on the door. Paige and Phoebe just stared at it.

"Are one of you going to get it?" Stock asked. Paige and Phoebe just kept looking at it. Sighing, Stock got up and walked to the door. He opened it and was thrown backwards. A boy, about Shea's age walked confidently into the living room. Piper was standing and she grabbed Leo's hand, out of habit. She stared down at her hand holding onto his and looked back at him. He smiled. She smiled too, but noticed Ryan glaring at Leo. She quickly let go. Chris was already holding onto a candlestick that he had orbed into his hand, ready to strike. Phoebe had jumped backwards as Stock went flying across the room and was backed up against the doorway. Paige hadn't moved, but now went to go help Stock up. Stock stood up and gasped.

"Where is she?" The boy asked. In his right hand he held an athame. In his left hand he clutched a necklace.

Stock spoke up first. "We don't know who you're talking about."

"Bull." Was the boy's response. He ran his hand through his curly brown hair. His hazel eyes wickedly as he looked at everyone.

"Seriously Shane. We don't know who you're talking about." Stock said.

Shane laughed. "Come on. Of course you do." Shane said. Noticing Paige he smiled.

"Hey Paige." He said.

"Shane." Paige responded.

"Paige, how come you forgot to mention that you had a few demon friends?" Piper asked.

Shane looked at Piper. "I'm actually only half demon. I'm half witch too." He said seriously, looking her right in the eye. He turned back to Stock. "So I guess she's not here, huh?" He asked.

"I said I didn't know what you were talking about." Stock insisted.

"Alright, listen. I know you know who I'm talking about, so don't try to lie." Shane said. He took off his leather bomber jacket to reveal a ripped Metallica shirt and a large bleeding gash on his upper arm.

"If she's not going to show up for a little while, do you mind if I use your bathroom? And maybe a bandage?"

Shea and Colin had spent all of their combined cash on the motel room. Shea picked up the clicker and flicked through the static channels. Colin telekinetically took the clicker from her and put it out of her reach.

"Colin." She whined.

"What?" Colin said, mimicking her.

"Give it back right now or I'll…" Shea stopped halfway through her snetence, causing Colin to look at her funny.

"What?" He asked.

Shea had her eyes closed. Her head was down and she was muttering. Colin stood up, not sure what to do.

"Shea?" He asked cautiously. "You alright?"

Suddenly she looked up at him, breaking out of her trance-like state.

"He's back." She said, throwing her clothes into a bag. "He's back and he's looking for me."


	14. FaceOff

Shane sat on the floor in the living room, meditation style. He breathed deeply and spoke without opening his eyes or lifting his head.

"She's on her way."

Stock stood up immediately, causing Paige to look at him surprised.

"No Shane. Not here, not now, not ever. You promised you'd leave her alone. Don't you remember?" Stock asked.

Shane stood up, anger flashing in his eyes. "Of course I remember. That was the day you separated us. You told us we couldn't stay together; it was too risky for mankind. That was the day that I lost my mother, and my father." Shane yelled, getting in Stock's face.

Stock's eyes were filled with guilt and remorse. "Shane, you had to be separated. It was the only way. And you didn't lose your father, he's still alive." Stock said quietly, while the others watched wondering what would happen next.

"No. To me, my father is dead. He's been dead for the last 5 years." Shane retorted. Piper coughed.

"Sorry." She said, embarrassed.

Suddenly the doors flew open. Colin strolled through and stopped short when he saw Shane.

"Shane." He said curtly, nodding.

"Colin." Shane replied.

Shea came in behind Colin and gasped. For a moment, Shane's aggressiveness disappeared.

"Shea. Is it really you?" He asked, unsure. She looked at him, showing no emotion.

"Who else would it be?" She asked him. Silently, Phoebe shot looks of confusion at Piper. Piper shook her head and nodded towards Shea and Shane.

"Shea. Don't be mad at me, please." Shane pleaded.

"You left Shane. You left when I needed you." Shea yelled at him, silent tears running down her cheeks.

"I had to Shea. He," Shane nodded towards. "Made me. I didn't want to." Shane said, his own tears rolling freely.

Shea turned around and walked towards Colin. She leaned against him, her head resting on his shoulder. He put a protective arm around her.

Piper spoke up. "What's going on?" She asked. Unfortunately, no one paid any attention to her.

Shea turned around. "5 years Shane. 5 years. In all those years, you didn't call. You didn't even shimmer over to see how I was doing. For God sakes Shane, I let go of you a long time ago. I've been doing fine since then!" Shea yelled.

"Are they dating or something?" Phoebe whispered in the direction of Paige.

Paige gave Phoebe a strange look. "No." She said as she directed her attention towards Shea and Shane.

'Don't you think I wanted to?" Shane asked.

"Then why didn't you?" Shea retorted. Shane was caught there.

But then something came to him. "Why didn't you try to find me?" He smirked. "You can't just blame all of this on me. You could have easily tried to call me."

Shea looked at him. "Were you being tossed from foster home to foster home? Huh, were you? Because I was. A different one every week! And you, you were the goddamn chicken! Chose to go to the underworld because you can't hack it up here. What did you say? I think it was something like 'It's just too hard to be a witch and a demon. I have to embrace one side. It's all a matter of good and evil.' Isn't that what you said?" Shea asked.

Shane said nothing. He nodded faintly.

"You don't belong here Shane. You belong in the underworld. I don't know why you came looking for me. You knew what was going to happen." Shea said softly.

Shane blinked the tears back. "Yeah. I knew. And you're right. I really don't know why I came back. I just thought that we could…well obviously it's not going to work." Shane said as he stepped back towards the front door.

Paige looked at Shea. "Shea. Come on. He's here now, isn't he?" Shea thought about it and nodded. "Then why are you still standing there? Shea smiled and started off after Shane.

Stock smiled at Paige and walked over to her. He wrapped her in a hug and even she smiled. Piper got up and motioned towards Colin to go get some coffee with her. Phoebe leaned back in the crook of Chris's arms and closed her eyes. They all got comfortable waiting for them to return.


	15. Talking to Shane

"Shane! Shane where are you?" Shea yelled as she climbed over the mounds of trash. Using her powers, she had traced Shane to the city dump. Pin-pointing him was a different story.

"Shane!" Shea yelled again.

"Go home Shea." Came the response from behind her. Shea turned around and saw Shane standing there, a look of hurt and rejection of his usually smiling face.

Shea began to apologize. "Shane. I'm sorry. There's nothing else to say ecept for that. I'm sorry." Shane shook his head.

"Shea, all those things you said back there…do you expect me to forgive you like that?" Shane asked.

Shae shook her head. "No but I was hoping it was a start?" She responded.

Shane's grim face finally broke into a smile. "How can I be mad at you?" He asked laughing.

"You can't, it's part of my charm." Shea replied. She sat down and looked around.

"The dump?" She asked, clearly amused.

Shane laughed. "I figured you wouldn't come after me." He replied honestly.

Shea smiled. "Have you seen dad, recently I mean?" She asked.

"Yea, just a little…" Shane started to say.

"No, before that. When you were living in the underworld." Shea specified.

Shane thought about it. "Once or twice in passsing. Just meeting between demons and stuff like that. I didn't sit down and have conversations with him, if that's what you mean."

"Oh." Was Shea's response.

"Have you seen him at all?" Shane asked.

Shea shook her head. "Nope. I haven't seen him in 5 and ½ years."

There was a silence. Shane was looking at the golden gate bridge. He watched as the sun set behind it. Finally he turned towards Shea.

"Have you…"

"No" Shea replied.

"Not even once?" He asked.

"No. I wish I did though." Shea responded.

"Oh."

"Have you?" Shea asked.

"No way. I lived in the underworld. There's no way" Shane replied.

"Do you want to?" Shea asked.

Shane looked at her curiously. "How?" He asked.

Shea looked around the dump. After 5 minutes, she found what she was looking for. She motioned to Shane to come help her.

"We're moving it to that clearing over there." Shea instructed, pointing towards the left.

Shane nodded and gathered the supplies in his hand. She followed him carring the rest of it. She slipped off her jacket and looked at him.

"Ready? She asked in a hoarse whisper.

He nodded. He wiped the sweat off his brow and grabbed her hands. She whispered under her breath, mumbling over and over again. Finally she turned towards the circle they had laid out.

He began to open his mouth when she shook her head. He immeadiatly shut it and focused back on the circle.

"Don't let go." She whispered, her eyes still focused on the circle.

"I won't." He whispered back.

Shea closed her eyes and muttered under her breath some more. Finally she looked up. Shane followed her glance and gasped. Inside of the circle, a white mist-like fog was forming, covering an area. The fog was thick and impossible to see through. Finally it began to clear. Shane saw the shape of a woman, and then her face. She looked just like Shea. Her hair was the same legnth, the same color. Her eyes were the same color too. Shea squeezed his hand even tighter. He squeezed back, supporting her.

"Mom?" Shea whispered.


	16. Vanquishes and Visitors

Piper looked around at the array of people in her living room. Ryan had draped his arm across her shoulders and Leo had an uncomfortable look on his face. Chris's shoulder was covered by Phoebe's head, her eyes closed. Paige on the other hand, wasn't as relaxed. She sat stiff and straight, not making eye contact with anyone. Stock was whispering in her ear.

Suddenly, Piper realized that Ryan had lied to her.

"Why did you lie?" Piper asked him, shaking her shoulders, which caused his hand to drop.

"What do you mean?" He asked, turning to face her.

Piper stood up and backed away from him. Stock stopped whispering to Paige and looked up. Phoebe opened her eyes. Everyone was staring at her.

"You said that you had raised Shea since she was 4 years old. But you haven't." Piper exclaimed. Ryan stood up, and Piper backed away again.

"Piper…' He started to say, but she cut him off.

"Who are you. No. What are you?" She asked, her voice filled with panic.

Ryan looked at her, and then around at everyone else. He laughed and his voice started to change.

"What am I? My name is Ferihs. I'm a demon, a good one to. I've almost turned that half-wit niece of yours into a demon, and it will be only a matter of time before I turn her fully."

Piper looked at him, her eyes filling with tears.

"Ryan. I love you. I love you Ryan. What happened to you." She asked.

For a moment, Ferihs' expression softened, his eyes changing from a harsh red to the soft brown of his human form. Then he hardened again.

"I'm better like this. I'm invincible. I can do anything and you can't stop me." Ferihs yelled as he raised his arms in triumph.

Piper was crying now. "Yes I can." She said. She raised her own arms.

"It didn't have to be like this Ryan. You can change." She said hopefully.

He shook his horned head. " No you can't. But I can change you into nothing." He said. He shot a ball of fire at her right as she lifted her arms. She covered her face and heard a loud explosion. She smelt burning flesh and knew that she had vanquished him. She sank to the ground and beat the floor with her fists.

"Damn you Ryan. Damn you." She yelled as she hit the ground. She felt arms wrap around her, safe arms. She looked into the concerned face of Leo.

"It's alright. Shh. It's alright." He whispered into her hair. She let herself fold into him and cry.

Finally she looked and saw Phoebe holding hands with Chris looking at her, a worried expression on her face.

Piper turned around, trying to find Paige. She was sitting on the couch, holding a head in her lap. Paige looked at her.

"Stock. He's hurt. When he vanquished Ferihs, he drained his powers. He's weak." She explained. Piper stared at her in disbelief.

"I thought that I…" Piper's voice trailed off when she realized that her powers would never have made that much noise.

"Is he alright." She asked.

Paige nodded. "He'll be fine." She replied.

"Why did his powers drain?" Phoebe asked.

Paige looked at Stock and sighed. "I'll tell you a story." She said. Phoebe clapped her hand enthusiastically.

"Yippee." She said, sitting on the floor. Paige smiled at her and motioned Piper and Leo to come closer. When everyone was settled, she started again.

"Stock was actually born in 1845. His mother was a demon, and so was his father. They raised him a demon. I mean, there was not much else that he could do. Well, he grew up and his father and mother were eventually killed, which meant that Stock could give up being a demon. So when he tried to leave the underworld, a demon stopped him, or at least tried to. Stock got mad and killed him. Turns out the demon was the source at the time and Stock just involuntary assumed the throne. He reigned for a few years until he met her."

"Prue." Piper said. Paige nodded and continued.

"He fell in love with Prue and had two kids – twins, a boy and a girl. He loved her so much that he offered to give up being the Source to be with her and marry her. But she said no, and it broke his heart. He watched her put his babies into foster homes and he watched her walk away. From that moment on, he swore that he wouldn't be the Source any more, or do magic. Then, about 5 years ago, he found out that Prue had died. He located Shea and Shane and told them. But he separated them, sending Shane into a spiraling downhill. Shane became a demon and swore to get revenge on his father. Shea on the other hand, moved from foster home to foster home until 4 years ago, when I found her." Paige said.

"And then…" Stock said in a hoarse voice. " I met the second and last person I have ever loved, besides my kids." He reached up and touched Paige's cheek, then turned towards the rest of the group.

"But she hated me. She hated me because of what I did to my kids, and later, because I was the one who had loved her sister. She hated me for existing. And I hated myself, because she hated me. When I told her I loved her, she went crazy on me. She told me I didn't know what love meant. And then I did the dumbest thing I could ever have done. I proposed to her. I gave her the ring, and she chucked it right back at me. I knew then that she wouldn't love me, so I hid in the underworld and begged to be forgiven by my successor."

Paige had tears running down her face. Stock reached over to wipe them away, but she turned her head.

"I loved you. I did. But I hated you because it wasn't me you were in love with. You thought I was someone else. You were really in love with…"

"Me." A voice finished. Everyone turned around and stared at Shea and Shane, and their visitor.

"Surprise?" She said.


	17. Love and Leaving

Piper gasped. Phoebe just stared, her mouth open, her eyes wide in awe. Then Piper did the unthinkable. She stood up and walked over to Prue. Then she smacked her. Prue gasped and everyone looked on in horror as Piper continued to smack Prue across the face repeatedly. Finally Shea gently grabbed her hand and led her towards the couch. Leo wrapped his arms around her and rocked her softly. Prue touched her cheek where Piper had hit her.

"What was that for?" Prue asked as she held her hand against her stinging cheek.

"Do you think this funny? Showing up and messing with us? At 12 o'clock, you'll disappear to wherever you came from and then we'll be down a sister!" Piper yelled. She tried to stand up again but she was too weak and Leo was holding her, his arms comfortable. It was then that Piper realized that she belonged in these arms.

Phoebe on other hand was calmer. She stood up and reached over to give Prue a hug. She held her tight, as if she wasn't real. Finally, she let go, and Prue turned to face Paige.

"Paige.' She said curtly.

Paige's response was equally hard. "Prue."

Shea ran over to where Stock had fallen asleep and grabbed his hand.

"Is he alright?" She asked Paige. Paige nodded.

"He'll be fine." She said in reply. Shane continued to stand next to his mother. After some seconds of uncomfortable silence, he spoke up.

"What happens now?" He asked. Shea looked up at him.

"What do you mean?" She asked him.

Shane swept his arm around the room. "What do we do? Do we stay here? Do I go back to the underworld? Do we just forget this ever happened?" His voice was angry.

Shea looked around the room. She saw Chris, his arm around Phoebe. They both looked comfortable together. She looked at Piper; her shoulder's still racking with silent sobs while Leo wiped the tears rolling down her face. She saw Paige, her hand clamped loosely around Stock's. She saw Prue glaring at Paige. She didn't ever want to forget these people, but she might have to. Before she could say anything, Paige spoke up.

"I've got it. Piper falls back in love with Leo. They stay married and have some kids. Phoebe accepts Chris soon coming marriage proposal. And Prue can have the elders do some kind of memory eraser and live again. She can marry Stock and adopted her children back. Then I go back to land of the dead and every one's happy. Everyone but me." She said as she stepped over everyone and walked into the kitchen. A second later, the back door slammed and they knew she had left.

"Well then." Prue said. "I have a question. Was she always so emotional?"

Shea stood up, her eyes blazing with fire.

"You want to know something? You're a bitch. You have no interest in ever loving Stock…I mean dad. I can see it in your eyes. You just want dad so that Paige can't have him. I don't know why I summoned you!" Shea yelled as she ran out the back door, following Paige.

Shane spoke up. "She may not know why she summoned you, but I know why she did it. She thought that you were an angel. She worshiped you from the day she could talk. She used to dream about you. She thought you were next in line to be God! I was more sensible, I always have been. I told her so many times that you couldn't be the super mom she thought you were. Otherwise, we wouldn't have been in the foster homes in the first place. You created us and for that I am grateful. But you also ruined our lives. You screwed us over the day you left us."

Piper stood up. "Prue. I think you should leave." Prue stared at her in disbelief.

"Are you kidding me? She asked. Piper's face remained stony. "No. You're not are you? Are you seriously choosing that half breed over me?"

Phoebe jumped up, her own face contorted in anger. "Don't you dare call her that. She is our sister. She belongs in this family as much as you do, even more!" She yelled. She felt Chris's hand on her shoulder and sat down. She was breathing hard and it was difficult for her to catch her breath.

Prue shook her head. "Maybe that brat was right. I only want Stock so that she can't have him. And you know the sad part. He'd crawl on his hands and knees for me. He worships me like that half-demonic kid of mine. I could make him do back flips for me." She said triumphantly.

"No you couldn't." Came a voice from the couch. Stock stood up and walked in front of Prue. "You've changed Prue. And not for the better. What happened to you? To us?" His eyes pleaded with her, begging for an explanation.

"I had to abandon my life when those stupid kids came. I dropped out of college. I ruined my life." She said calmly. Then the grandfather clock in the front hall rang out. It was 12 o'clock. Slowly, just as slowly as when she arrived, Prue began to disappear. A solid mist of white swirled around her.

"Guess this is goodbye." Were her final words as the mist completely surrounded her, blocking her from view. Then the mist disappeared, leaving nothing behind.

Stock sat down on the ground, Shane's hand resting on his shoulder. For some reason, Piper had the urge to take a picture. She grabbed a disposable camera that was lying on the table and snapped the shot. Stock looked up at her, his eyes filled with tears. He knew what he had to do.

"I love her." He said as he grabbed his coat and ran out the front door.


	18. O brother, Where is the love

"Paige!" Shea yelled. She fought her way through branches and sticks. When she came to a clearing, she found herself at the edge of a lake. She saw a cabin to her left. She walked up to the windows and saw a light in the middle of the room. Paige was sitting in a chair at a table, a man sitting across from her. His face was hidden by the shadows.

Worried about Paige, Shea ran to the front of the cabin and knocked on the door. She heard the shuffling of a chair and feet moving towards her. She put her ear to the door and heard whispering voices. Finally, the door opened and Paige stood in the light of the doorway. A look of relief washed over her face as she realized it was Shea. Then she looked closer.

"Oh my God Shea! You're bleeding." Paige said as she grabbed her by the sleeve and pulled her into the cabin. Shea reached up and felt her forehead and realized that she was in fact bleeding. She just shrugged.

"It's no big." She said as Paige grabbed hydrogen peroxide and cotton balls.

"No big? You look like you were attacked by a bat." Suddenly Paige got serious. "Were you attacked by a bat, because that happened to me once and it was not cool." She said, concern filling her voice.

"No. It was probably the branches I had to beat down to get here…Ouch!" Shea winced as the peroxide burned.

"Sorry. Why the hell were you beating down branches?' Paige asked, failing to hear the last part of Shea's answer.

"To get here." Shea said, getting annoyed.

"Oh yea. Alright." Paige said while she put away the materials in the medicine cabinet.

Silence lasted for a while until Shea spoke up.

"Who was in here with you?" She asked. Paige's eye's widened in surprise, but she turned around, her back to Shea.

"What do you mean?" She asked innocently.

"Dammit Paige. Don't play stupid with me. There was some guy in herewith you. And when you answered the door, you were alone." Shea yelled. She was tired and didn't mean to snap, but she did anyway.

"I don't know what…" Paige started to say, but was cut off.

"It's me." A voice said as a man stepped out of the shadows.

"Cole…What are you doing?" Paige asked.

"Don't worry Paige." Cole responded.

"Wait. Wait a minute. You're Cole? The same Cole that was married to Phoebe? Cole the demon, who killed Paige and Leo? You're that Cole?" Shea asked.

"Yes." Cole responded calmly.

"Holy Jesus." Shea sighed.

"Shea listen you can't…" Paige started to say, but was cut off once again.

"I can't what? Tell? Tell everyone that Paige has been hanging around with the demon that killed her and her brother in law?" Shea asked angrily.

"First off: Cole did not kill me. Rollin did." Paige retaliated.

"Oh excuse me. It's the demon that hired the guy to kill you. Got it." Shea cut in.

"And secondly…" Paige started as she was once again cut off.

"I love you." Stock yelled as he busted through the door. Everyone looked at him. He was a mess. By the looks of it, he hadn't shimmered here. His hair was filled with wood burs, his face scratched in every direction. A giant thorn was sticking out of his hand, and a branch has gashed through his pants, bloody them.

"Stock. What are you doing here?" Paige finally asked.

"I love you." Stock panted out. Everyone still stared at him, shell-shocked.

"What are you talking about?" Paige asked, still confused.

"Back in the living room, when you said that I was still in love with Prue, I thought you were right. That was until I saw you leave and I saw what a really, well, witch she was. Then I realized that this whole time, it's been you that was there for me, for Shane and Shea. It's been you all along that I love." Stock said, finally breathing. Paige had tears running down her cheeks, but didn't bother to wipe them away. Stock finally stood up, his breathing returning to normal.

"Oh man." Paige muttered.

'So what do you say? Can you give me one more chance to make it right?" Stock pleaded.

Shea looked at Paige. Paige looked at Cole, then back at Stock. She shook her head and when she did, Stock's smile started to disappear.

"Oh yea. I get it. You're involved with him right?" Stock asked, making reference to Cole. "I mean, why not. He's pretty good looking, I won't deny that. And you've always gone for the dark haired guys. The silent brooding type right? And I mean I can't compare right? Wow. I'm some idiot. I burst inhere, bleeding all over the place and tell you I love you. And of course, you're seeing someone. I mean, why not. You're a beautiful woman. You have to be seeing someone. You're perfect and any guy is lucky to have you." Stock said as he walked over to Cole and clapped him on the shoulder.

"Congratulations." He said to Cole. Stock looked at Shea and nodded then started for the door.

"Stock!" Paige yelled. Stock turned around.

"I'm not dating Cole, or involved with him. Actually, we call that incest." Paige said with a smile on her face.

It took Stock longer to figure it out than it did for Shea.

"What do you mean?" Stock asked.

Cole broke in. "Recently, I found out that my father wasn't a mortal. He was a whitelighter. In fact, he was the same whitelighter that Paige was born to." He explained.

"That means…That means…" Stock said.

"That they're brother and sister!" Shea exclaimed, jumping up and down. Paige smiled at her.

"Half-brother and sister, but yes. Brother and sister." Paige said.

Stock breathed a sigh of relief.

"And Stock?" Paige said.

Cole and Shea turned to look at him.

"I love you too." Paige said as she kissed him.


	19. Brother Home

Piper stared at Leo. He was sitting across from her, his head in hands. He was exhausted, and was now sleeping. Chris's head was titled back, his mouth slightly open. Phoebe had nestled into the crook of his arm, her head resting comfortably on his chest. Piper shifted slightly and felt Shane's weight move. He had sprawled across the couch, his feet unceremoniously splayed across her lap. She moved them off her and placed them back in her empty seat.

Piper ran upstairs and grabbed some blankets. She laid on over Shane's body and another covering Phoebe and some of Chris. Gently, she pushed Leo's head back against the couch and covered him with a blanket. The last one, she took for herself. Curling up in the armchair, she laid her head on the armrest. As the clock struck 7 am, she heard a jingling of bells. Looking up into the front hall, she saw Paige orb in. Stock shimmered in after her, looking happy but exhausted. Piper tried to look around Paige to see where Shea was. When she couldn't see her, she asked.

"Where's Shea?" Piper whispered. Paige looked over at her.

"On her way." Paige replied.

"Is she shimmering?" Piper asked. Paige nodded.

"Yes, but she had an extra passenger" Paige said. Piper looked at her funny, but before she could ask, Shea shimmered in. She was holding hands with a man, his face hidden by shadows.

"Shea?" Piper asked. "Who is that?"

"Piper?" the man asked. Piper gasped.

"Cole?" She asked. The shadow man nodded and stepped out of the shadows. Piper looked up into the face of Cole, the ex-husband of her sister.

"Oh my god." Was all Piper could say.

Shea was jumping up and down, waiting to explain everything. Piper noticed and nodded.

"Go ahead." Piper told Shea.

"Can I wake everyone up first?" Shea asked, looking like a 5-year-old on Christmas morning. Piper nodded.

"Go for it." She said, returning her gaze to Paige and Stock. Stock had wrapped his arms around Paige's waist and was smiling. Paige looked up at Piper and Piper smiled back. She motioned the pair into the kitchen, and she followed them. A couple of seconds later, Leo, Chris, Phoebe and Shane appeared in the kitchen groaning and mumbling. Shea followed, with Cole closely on her heels. Phoebe and Leo's eyes widened when they saw Cole, but he didn't notice.

"Uh guys? Focus please. Eye's on me." Shea said. Everyone turned to look at her.

"Alright. This may sound weird but here goes nothing. Cole is Paige's half brother. His father and Paige's father are the same. Cole is half demon, half whitelighter and yea…" Shea said in one breath. Everyone stared at her. Then Phoebe started to laugh.

"That's a good one. The best I've heard in a…Oh. You're not joking?" Phoebe asked. Paige shook her head.

"Oh" Phoebe repeated. "But that means I married my…No?" Phoebe asked again when she saw Paige shake her head again.

"My dad and your dad aren't the same, which makes us half sisters. Cole's dad is also my dad, which makes him my half brother, and no relation to you, other than ex husband." Paige explained. Phoebe breathed a sigh of relief. She leaned into Chris a little and closed her eyes.

"But what's he doling here?" Leo asked.

"He need's a place to stay for a couple of days. Don't worry, he completely harmless. He stripped his powers after…well, you know…and now the only powers he has are whitelighter powers, like me. He doesn't really get the hang of orbing and that's why Shea brought him over, but yea. Can he stay a little while?" Paige asked. That's when Piper realized how many people were here, and needed a place to sleep.

"Sure. Let me get some sleeping arrangements down. Phoebe and Chris in Phoebe's room?" Piper said, checking to make sure it was okay with them.

"Paige and Stock?" Stock nodded in response. "We can set cots in the attic for Shea and Stock. Cole, you can sleep in the living room. That leaves me, in my room and…Leo." Piper said softly. She turned to face Leo. Leo just looked back at her.

"Whatever you want." He said in a reassuring tone.

Piper thought about it. "You can stay in my room with me." She finally said. Leo nodded. Cole looked at her funny.

"Alright, everyone to bed." Piper said. She looked at the clock. 8 am. Everyone turned to go up the satirs, but Piper grabbed Cole's hand, signaling him to stay behind. When everyone was gone, she started to talk.

"Everything is so complicated." She said. Cole nodded.

"I know, but it'll be fine." Cole whispered as he pulled her into a hug

"But what if…" Piper started to say, but was cut off.

"They won't. I promise." Cole said, talking into her hair. "Do you trust me?"

Piper nodded into his chest. Cole grabbed her hand and pulled her into the front hall. They were standing in front of the stairs as the clock hit 8:15.

Cole looked at Piper, who was looking at the clock. He turned her face towards his and ducked down. His lips touched hers. He was about to deepen the kiss when the doorbell rang. Reluctantly, Piper pulled herself free and opened the door.


	20. Skeletons In The Closet

Piper sighed and headed for the door. She opened it and saw a young man, his back to her. She coughed slightly, just to let him know she was there. He got the message and turned around.

"Hi. Um..I realize that it's 8:15 in the morning, but I'm looking for Piper Halliwell." The boy said.

Piper pointed to herself. "That's me."

After a couple of seconds, she spoke again.

"Would you like to come in, or are you going to stand there all day?" She asked him. He revealed a half-smile and stepped in the front hall. Piper turned around to introduce Cole, but he wasn't there. She could here water running in the kitchen and assumed he was getting some water.

The boy looked nervous. He was wringing his hands around the envelope he was holding. He was tall, taller than Piper, but maybe only a few inches. He had brown hair and _God, those eyes_ Piper thought to herself. _Where have I seen them before?_

Piper looked him over, from his black converse, to his blue jeans that ripped at the knees, and finally his black hooded sweatshirt.

"Would you like to sit down?" She asked him. He nodded and followed her into the living room. She pointed to the couch and then took a seat opposite from him.

Piper was about to open her mouth when Shane ran down the stairs, followed closely by Shea.

"Shane Halliwell. Give it back to me right now!" Shea yelled, referring to the journal Shane held above his head, high above Shea's reach. Piper jumped up and stepped in.

"Guys. Hello?" She said. When no one paid any attention to her, she raised her voice.

"Shea! Shane!" That got their attention. They both turned toward her and Shea took this opportunity to grab back her journal. She turned toward Shane triumphantly and grinned. He stuck his tongue out at her.

"Ladies!" Piper said. Both of them immediately turned back to face her.

"What's going on. One at a time. Shea go ahead." Piper said.

"Shane took my diary. I wanted it back, that's all." Shea explained.

Piper turned towards Shane, waiting for his explanation.

He just nodded. "I wanted to see what it said." He whined. Piper shook her head and tried to stifle a laugh.

"Well. Shea, what does it say?" Piper asked, her curiosity now sparked. Shea looked appalled.

"Are you serious?" Shea asked, a looked of horror on her face. Piper nodded.

"What did you put for today?" Piper asked.

Shea reluctantly opened it to the last written entry and began reading.

" _Today was the best. I found my family. Shane and I are finally back in the same house, with Dad! Paige is here too, so dad is **super** happy. My Aunt Piper - - wow. I mean, she's amazing and I feel bad for her. You could tell she was into Ryan. Sucks that he was a bad guy. And then there's Aunt Phoebe. She's pretty cool too. And Chris is amazingly cute and WAY too old. For me at least. And Leo's pretty decent too. The major disappointment was my mom. She's a wicked witch. I didn't even believe it, but then, when Paige ran out of the room, I realized what she really was. She makes me SOOOOOO MAD! But, she's long gone now, and I don't think she's ever coming back."_

"There. I read it. Are you happy?" Shea asked.

"Read the bottom part. Read the bottom!" Shane shouted. Piper smacked him in the back of his head.

"There are people trying to sleep." Piper said. "Go to bed, both of you." She said, eyeing Shane.

With a sigh of disappointment, he walked up the stairs. Shea followed, but looked back at Piper, ran down the stairs and gave her a hug.

"Thanks." Shea whispered, then followed Shane up the stairs.

Piper turned her attention back to the boy on the couch. He was watching her, intently, his familiar eyes studying her.

"Sorry about that." Piper said as she sat down. "My niece and nephew. They're twins and a nuisance. Especially when it's supposed to be quiet around here." Piper explained. The boy only looked amused.

"It's perfectly alright." He said to her.

Piper sat down and looked back at him, a smile on her face. She saw him fingering his ear and when he moved his hand, she spotted a small silver stud. He caught her staring at it.

"Teenage Rebellion." He explained. "Bought it with my own money. I thought it was cool, but it hurt like crazy afterward." He said

"Parents didn't agree?" Piper asked, but regretted it as soon as she said it. His face dropped its smile and his eyes lost their spark.

"No. The…uh…nuns." He said.

"Nuns?" Piper asked, clearly confused.

"I was raised in an orphanage. They don't actually know I'm here." He said.

Piper nodded. "Which brings us back to our original conversation. Why you're here."

"Oh yea. That." He said, looking a little disappointed that he had to bring it up again.

Just then, Cole walked in the room. Piper looked at him and smiled. He stared down at the boy and looked at Piper, his expression clearly confused.

"Who's this?" Cole asked.

Piper looked at the boy, remembering that she had neglected to ask his name.

He just stood up and offered his hand out to Cole. They shook.

"My name's Ian." Ian said. Suddenly, it Piper. Ian's eyes. They were a reflection of Cole's. Both had deep pools of blue.

Cole spoke up when he noticed the silence. "Well Ian. What can we do for you?" He asked as he sat down next to Piper, sliding his arm across her shoulders, pulling her into a hug.

"Are you married?" Ian asked, a slight look of hope in his voice.

"No." Cole said.

"Oh." Ian replied with a look of disappointment.

Piper laughed, but was cut short by the grandfather clock, which had struck 9 o'clock. Ian looked up and double-checked the cheap digital watch on his wrist.

"It's 9 o'clock. They do attendance at 9:30. It'll take me 20 minutes to get there so…" Ian said, more to himself than anyone.

"I can drive you." Piper offered, but Ian declined.

"Let me just get this out." Ian said. Piper and Cole nodded.

"15 years ago I was dropped on the doorstep of an orphanage run by a nuns. I've grown up there. I never had a last name, only a first and a middle name, Everyone knows me as Ian Coleridge. The nuns said they named me Coleridge because it said I.C. on my hospital bracelet. But anyway. It took me 5 years to track anyone from my birth down. And well, I finally did it." Ian said in one breath.

Piper looked at him, confused.

"Do you mean that I'm part of your birth?" Piper asked, Ian's middle name not sinking in yet.

"Yea." Ian simply replied.

"But…how?" Piper asked. Ian handed Piper the envelope he had been holding. Piper gave him a look, but took it anyway. She opened it and stared at the paper inside. She was speechless.

"Piper…what is it?" Cole asked. Piper remained quiet and looked up at Ian.

"I'm sorry. I don't know what else to say. I'm just…sorry." Piper said.

"Piper what are you talking about." Cole asked.

Ian stood up. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a piece of paper.

"It was nice meeting you Piper, Cole. Piper, if you ever want to talk or know more or…anything, you can reach me here." Ian said, giving her his phone number. He looked at the clock.

"I've got to go...but maybe I'll talk to you later." Ian said as he walked out the front door. Cole turned to face Piper, who still hadn't moved.

"Piper. What's wrong?" Cole asked, His voice filled with worry. Piper just shook her head. She stood up, dropped the paper on the coffee table and walked into the kitchen without a word. Cole stood up to go after her, but instead sat down. He put his head in his hands and sat there.

Finally he picked up the papers. His own mouth drooped, as he stared unbelieving at what was in front of him. He dropped the papers and ran in the kitchen after Piper.

The papers fluttered to the ground.

Ian Coleridge Halliwell 

_**5 lbs. 10 oz.**_

_**Mother: Piper Halliwell**_

_**Father: Coleridge Turner**_

**_Date of Birth: December 9th 1989_**


	21. Shock and Kids

At around 2 in the afternoon, Shea finally came down stairs. She had been up for an hour, ignoring the pains in her stomach. When she reached the kitchen, she heard voices. She paused and listened for a little while.

"Cole what am I going to do?" A woman was saying.

"No Piper. It's what are we going to do?" Cole responded.

"Cole, you can't help me." Piper said.

"Yes I can, and I will. This is my problem too." Cole yelled.

"Cole…stop yelling. Oh god. What am I going to do." Piper said, her voice filled with concern.

"Let's go visit him." Cole suggested.

"Yes… That's good…let's do it." Piper said.

Shea heard chairs scraping and footsteps walking her way. Putting on a sleepy face, she walked into the kitchen. Piper turned to look at her.

"Morning." Shea mumbled as she reached into the fridge and pulled out the orange juice. She poured a glass and offered some Piper. Piper refused.

"Shea?" Cole asked.

"Umphm?" Shea asked between swallows.

"Cole and I are going to run some errands, just in case anyone is looking for us." Piper said as she grabbed her car keys.

"K…" Shea mumbled as she grabbed a muffin.

Piper motioned for Cole to follow her and they left. After they left the driveway, she ran upstairs. She peeked in Phoebe's room and saw them wrapped up in blankets and sleeping soundly. Next she checked Paige's room. Stock and Paige were talking quietly and didn't notice Shea. Shea closed the door and checked Piper's room. Leo had fallen asleep still dressed and on top of the covers.

Shea shimmered up to the attic and saw that Shane was still asleep. Shea quickly changed and ran back downstairs. She scribbled a not saying she went for a jog and then shimmered out, following the trace of Cole and Piper.

Shea shimmered back in standing in front of a big brick building. She looked at a faded wooden sign that was cracked in half. Piecing it together, she read the words: **St. Anne's Orphanage**.

_What are they doing here? _Shea thought

Shea saw Cole and Piper through the windows. They were talking to a nun. Shea snuck around back and let herself in through the back kitchen door. Her back to the kitchen, she quietly closed the door.

"Hey." A voice said from behind her. Shea turned around slowly. A guy her age was sitting at the table, peeling potatoes.

"Hey." Shea said in reply.

"I don't think I've seen you around. Are you new here?" He asked her.

"No. I'm actually spying on my aunt and a friend of hers. They're inside talking to a nun, and I didn't want them to see me." Shea explained. The boy nodded.

"I'm Shea, by the way." Shea said, extending her hand.

"Ian." The boy replied, shaking her hand.

"How long have you been here?" Shea asked, taking a seat next to him and grabbing a peeler and a potato.

"You don't have to do that. Really." Ian said as she started to peel.

"Don't worry about it. My aunt is a super freak when it comes to cooking. I don't mind, really." Shea replied.

Ian shrugged. "Alright, whatever shuffles your cards." He said.

"So. How long have you been here?" Shea asked again.

"My whole life." Ian responded.

"I'm sorry." Shea said softly.

Ian laughed. "Don't be. I located my mom and I actually snuck out and visited her this morning. I think she might adopt me. She's amazing." Ian said proudly.

Shea smiled. "That's awesome." She said.

"Yea it is." Ian said. "What about you…what is your mom like?" He asked.

"Umm…well, until about 1 year ago, I was a orphan, mostly foster kid though. I met my mother a few times, mostly on 20 minutes meetings and such, but she was a witch, literally. My dad was pretty cool though, and he fell in love with on of my aunts." Shea explained to the confused Ian.

"One of your aunts? How many do you have?" Ian asked.

"None on my dad's side, and 3 on my mom's side. The aunt that's here right now, is the cook. She owns a club. The two aunts at home, are the journalist and the…unemployed." Shea replied.

"Any uncles?" Ian asked.

Shea nodded. "I have…well, it's complicated. See my unemployed aunt is also like my step-mom. And then the journalist is dating someone, but she was married to my ex uncle, if you can call it that. My ex uncle is also here with my club owner aunt. The club owner was married to another ex uncle, but she might get back together with him." Shea said, confusing herself.

"Wow. You have one screwed up family." Ian said as he laughed.

"Oh really?" Shea asked, her own voice cracking with laughter.

"How does your boyfriend cope with it all" Ian asked. Shea thought of Colin.

"Colin's pretty cool about it." Shea said, noticing the hopeful look in Ian's eyes disappear.

"Well, you got lucky with him." Ian said, his voice still filled with humor.

"Yea, I guess I did." Shea said

"Cause I know that if I was your boyfriend, I'd never be able to deal with that." Ian continued, his eyes sparkling again.

Shea could only laugh. She reached for a potato and realized they had run out.

"Where are the other potatoes?" Shea asked.

Ian pointed to cupboard under the sink. Shea nodded and squatted down to grab some more.

"I'd like to meet your mom and dad." Shea said as the kitchen door opened.

"You can." Ian said. Shea grabbed as many potatoes as she could. She turned around as the nun was talking to Ian.

"Ian. These are your parents." The nun said. Shea looked up and dropped the potatoes on the ground. Her mouth dropped to the floor, a mirror image of Piper and Cole, who were standing in front of her.


	22. Homeward Bound

"Parents?" Shea shouted.

"Shea…" Piper started to say.

"Parents?" Shea yelled louder, backing away from Piper and Cole.

"Shea, what's going on?" Ian asked.

"You want to know what's going on? These parents of yours, that's what. This is my aunt." Shea yelled.

Ian stared with disbelief at Piper and Cole.

"So my mom and dad, are your aunt and uncle?" Ian asked.

"No." Shea responded. "These people aren't my family anymore!" Shea yelled. She turned and ran out the back door. Piper started after her, but Cole stopped her.

"Let her go. She needs to calm down." Cole explained. Piper nodded, then turned to Ian.

"Ian, if you want, you can come home with us. We are your parents, but if you want nothing to do with us, I understand." Piper said, her eyes shining with unshed tears.

Ian nodded excessively. "Heck yea. I didn't know if you'd want me, it not being a good time and all." Ian said, referring to Shea.

"Yea, it's good." Piper said, with a smile on her face.

Cole slipped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close.

"It'll be okay." He whispered softly. Piper turned away from Ian.

"What if she hates me now?" Piper asked

Ian spoke up. "She won't. I've seen this happen before; she's just a little confused that's all. She'll be fine, I promise." He said reassuringly. Piper nodded.

"You're probably right. So, Ian. Want to go home?" Piper asked.

Ian nodded. "Sure." He replied. "Mom." He whispered softly. Cole threw his arm around Ian's shoulders and Ian felt like he was in heaven. He felt like a teenage boy, getting advice from his dad. It felt right to him. He wondered about Shea, and if she was all right.

Shea looked at her watch. 3 o'clock. _Where is he?_ She thought to herself.

"Colin?" Shea yelled in a hoarse whisper. Nothing.

"Colin?" She repeated. Behind her, Colin shimmered in. Shea didn't hear him. Colin put his hands over her eyes.

"Guess who?" He asked good-naturally. When she didn't respond, he knew something was wrong. That's when he realized her cheeks were wet, and her shoulders were shaking. He turned her around so that she was facing him.

"What's wrong?" He asked, concerned.

Shea couldn't speak. She was angry, her rage hidden behind tears.

Colin shook her slightly. "Babe, what's wrong?" He asked again.

Finally, she opened her mouth. "Piper. Cole. Ian." Shea stammered out.

Colin didn't understand. "What do you mean? What happened?" He asked.

"Piper and Cole. They have a son, together." Shea said. "His name is Ian. They lied to me, they lied to everyone." Shea yelled.

"Hey, it's alright. Everything's going to be okay" Colin whispered as he pulled her into a hug and stroked her hair, trying to calm her down.

"Why didn't they tell me?" Shea asked, speaking into his shirt.

"I don't know baby, I don't know. But I do know that if we don't get you a jacket, you could freeze." Colin said. It was then that Shea noticed the temperature had dropped about 15 degrees, making a little cold at the moment.

"Yea. Let's go back to my house." Shea said. Colin nodded and, still holding her, shimmered to the manor

The inside of the car was uncomfortable. Piper looked in the rearview mirror, her gaze traveling from the traffic behind her to her son in the back seat. Ian noticed this.

"I'm going to jump out of the car you know." He said, slightly amused. Piper quickly looked at something else.

"I know you won't." She said. Finally, she turned back to him. "I just can't believe it's you." She said.

"Hey, I know I'm no George Clooney, but come on?" Ian replied. Cole laughed and the silenced was filled.

"No. I meant, I just can't believe that I have you again." Piper said, serious again.

"When you were born, my mom was gone. She had died years before and I was raised by my grandmother. She was absolutely appalled at me being pregnant, so the minute you were born, she had the orphanage ready and waiting. I've never seen you since. And look, now you're all grown up." Piper said, tears in her eyes again.

"Honey. We're here." Cole said, his hand gently moving the steering wheel. Piper parked the car and sighed.

"Let's do it." She said as she wrapped Ian in a hug and gave Cole a kiss.

"Time to face the torches and pitch forks." Ian said as they climbed the front stairs.


	23. Leaving Home

Shea and Colin appeared in the front hall, shocking Shane. He dropped the book he was reading and quickly picked it up again.

"That was freaky." Shane said, then realized that Shea was crying.

"What's wrong Shea?" Shane asked. Shea just shook her head and ran up the stairs, passing Paige and Stock, who looked at her. Then they looked at Colin. Shane pushed Colin against the wall.

"What did you do to my sister?" Shane asked through clenched teeth. Colin struggled to get out of Shane's grasp.

"I didn't do it man. I swear." Colin said hoarsely as Shane cut off his air supply.

Stock reached over and pulled Shane's hands off Colin's neck.

"Chill. So, what did happen?" Stock asked as Paige joined him.

Just then, Piper, Cole and Ian walked through the door. Colin pointed to them.

"Ask them." Colin said simply. Stock, Paige, Shane, Colin and Leo, who had just walked in, turned to face the trio. Cole's arm dropped from Piper's shoulders, and Piper pulled Ian closer to her.

It was silent. Finally, Stock spoke up.

"What's wrong with Shea?" Stock asked. Piper looked at Cole. Cole looked at Piper. Then Ian stepped forward.

"Hi. I'm Ian." He said boldly, extending his hand out. Stock looked surprised, but took it.

"I'm Stock. This is Paige." Paige said hello. Stock pointed to everyone else.

"This is my son Shane, my daughters boyfriend Colin, and Leo. Oh yea, this is Phoebe and Chris." Stock said, rounding off the introductions.

Ian pointed to Paige. "You must be the unemployed one right?" Ian asked. Paige looked at him funny, then regained composure.

"Yea. That's me." She said, laughing.

Ian pointed to Phoebe. "The journalist?" He asked.

Phoebe laughed too." Yea, that's right." She said. "How did you know?" She asked.

"I was talking to Shea and she told me everything." Ian said.

"Everything?" Paige asked.

Piper broke in. "Not everything. I still have to tell him."

Just then, Shea walked down the stairs, a suitcase in each hand.

"Shea what's going on?" Stock asked, getting in her way. Shea raised her hand up.

"Get out of my way." She said threateningly.

"Shea, come on. Talk to me." Paige said in a comforting tone.

"I'm done talking." Shea said as she tried to move around Stock.

"Dad, get the hell out of my way." Shea said, her teeth clenched.

Stock stood his ground.

"Not until you tell me what the hell is going on." He responded.

"Don't make me use my powers on you." Shea threatened.

"You wouldn't." Stock replied.

"Don't test me." Shea said.

"Go ahead, try it." Stock retaliated.

Shea focused on his shirt and it erupted into flames. Stock screamed in agony. He dropped to the floor and Paige rushed to his side. But Stock was changing, his face shifting into his demonic form. He threw Paige across the room and stood up, roaring. He turned to face Shea.

"You little brat. When I ask you a question, you answer it!" Stock yelled as he brought his claw against Shea's face. Shea now had three scratch marks across her face, blood slowly dripping from the wounds.

Piper turned to face Ian. She expected him to look confused, or scared. Instead, he had his fists raised, ready to fight. Piper took his hands and slowly lowered them.

"It won't help." She told him. Ian nodded.

"Are you scared?" Piper asked, fearing the worst.

Ian just shook his head. "I'm scared for Shea." He said as he turned to face Shea, who now had a look of anger on her face. But her eyes, they were different. They showed that she was frightened, confused, scared, hurt. Everyone watched to see what would happen next.

"Dad?" Shea asked in a small voice, almost a whisper. She had never seen Stock in his demonic form. He roared at her question, his red eyes still flashing.

"Dad, come on. It's me, Shea." Shea said, still whispering. Paige moaned and stood up, her forehead bloody from the table she hit.

Shea took a step towards Stock. He moved back. Shea moved forward again, and Stock stepped back. Now Stock was against the banister.

Shea reached out to touch Stock, but he leaned away from her. Instead, he turned and walked towards Ian. Stock raised his hand to strike Ina. Ian closed his eyes and waited for the blow, but it never came. When he opened his eyes, Cole was wrestling Stock to the ground. Cole punched him a few times and slowly, Stock started to change back into a human. Cole just kept hitting him and hitting him, until Piper reached down and firmly but gently pulled Cole off of Stock. Stock stood up, touching his face and drawing back his hands, which were covered in blood.

"Cole…I…" Stock started to say, but Cole cut him off.

"If you ever try to hurt my son again, I'll kill you next time!" Cole screamed. Everyone, besides Shea, gasped and stared at Ian, who was being held closely by Piper.

"Son?" Leo croaked out.

Piper nodded. "My son." She repeated.


	24. Leo and Shea Gone

"Son?" Leo spat out. "He's your son!" Leo was angry, his happy eyes now clouded over with rage. Piper shrunk back in fear. Cole noticed this and stepped towards Piper defensively.

"Leo, I know that you're angry." Piper said.

"Angry! I'm angry, I'm…well, pissed!" Leo screamed. "We were married for 3 years, dating for 4 years. And you never thought to mention that you have a son. With this half-breed of all people!" Leo shouted. Now, instead of being afraid and ashamed, Piper grew angry.

"How dare you." She said calmly, but with clenched teeth. "How dare you talk about Cole that way. He has done nothing to you, nothing at all. How dare you ever say anything about him." Piper's voice got louder with each word she spoke.

Leo opened his mouth, ready to say something, then closed it when he realized he had pushed it to far with Piper.

"Get out." Piper said, venom dripping from her voice.

"What?" Leo asked, flabbergasted.

"I said to get out." Piper repeated.

"But Piper I…" Leo started to say, but Piper cut him off.

"You went to far. You insulted Cole. You insulted me and you insulted my son. Get out." Piper said. Leo cast a look at Phoebe and Paige, but all he received was cold glares. He looked at Stock, who was shaking his head in disbelief. He looked at Shane, Colin and Shea; Shea's arm draped around Ian's reassuringly. He didn't meet Cole's eyes, afraid he would see death in them. He sighed and orbed out.

"Bye." He said as his blue orbs faded.

Piper collapsed against Cole, his arms surrounding her in support. Ian rushed to his mother, grabbing her hand. Piper whispered she was fine.

"Can everyone go in the living room and I will explain?" Piper asked as she walked into the room, dropping down into one of the armchairs. Cole stood behind her, his hand on her shoulders looking like he was posing for a portrait. Ian sat on the ground in front of her, his head resting on Piper's knees. Phoebe plopped down on the couch, Chris sitting next to her. Phoebe laid her head on his shoulder in exhaustion. Shane sat next to them. Stock sat in the other armchair, Paige sitting on the armrest.

No one noticed Shea and Colin. Shea merely whispered goodbye softly and walked quietly out the front door. Not even bothering to close it, she left it wide open, her house keys on the hall table.

Piper opened her mouth and began to tell the story.

"When I was 19, I started my first year of college. I went somewhere out of state, but it doesn't matter now. Anyway, in one of my classes, I sat next to this guy." Piper said, referring to Cole. "I had a boyfriend while I was up there too. Do you remember that Phoebe?" Piper asked.

Phoebe thought for a minute before responding. "Yea. He was that Journalism major?" Phoebe asked.

"His name was Brady." Cole spoke up. "And he was a jerk. He was out every other night with a different girl, and then told Piper he was studying." Cole said with hatred in his voice.

Piper smiled. "Cole never liked Brady. But anyway. Cole was in my English class, and I got to know him pretty well. And then, one night I went out with some friends, just to celebrate a major test we had all aced. And that's when I saw Brady, kissing another girl. It was disgusting to watch. He looked like he was sucking the intestines out of her." Paige gave Piper a look.

"He was mortal, don't worry." Piper said. "And then I realized it was Brady. Cole, who was part of out study group, was there too. When he saw me crying and then saw me run to the bathroom, he figured out what was wrong." Piper explained.

"But then, Brady disappeared. I couldn't find him. I had turned around to see where Piper had run off too, and found out that Brady had left too. Well, I was pretty ticked, so I went outside to get some air. That's when I saw them." Cole said, his voice still filled with hatred and growing with every word.

"Brady was hurting me. Physically. He hit me across the face and when I went down, he hit me in the stomach. He kicked me and hit me, telling me I was useless. Then he reeled back to kick me again, but his foot never came. I looked up and saw Cole, beating the crap out of Brady, just like he did to Stock." Piper said.

"Sorry about that." Cole said, directing it at Stock.

Stock smiled. "That's alright." He said simply.

Then, Piper continued with her story. "Cole took me home that night, after the cops had taken Brady away. I spent the night there, crying by the way. I kept Cole up all night.." Piper smiled. "After that, we were together forever. Wherever I went, Cole went, and visa versa."

"But what about…how I…how I came to be?" Ian said, clearly uncomfortable. Everyone laughed at him and his face turned red. Piper reached down and tousled his hair. He smiled at her.

"It was, what a good 6 months after Brady?" Piper asked, directing it a Cole. Cole thought about it and nodded.

"6 or 7 months, yea." Cole agreed.

"That was the first time we slept together. Then, a couple of weeks later, I found out I was pregnant. Then we got nervous. I didn't come back for my sophomore year of college, and neither did Cole. We dropped out, and Grams was furious. But we knew that we were in love and this kid was going to know love. And then, Grams came to our small apartment and forced me to come home. Cole tried to follow, but he couldn't. He was devastated. He had given his whole life up for his kid and Grams wouldn't even let him be a father. After Ian was born, he was given up for adoption." Piper looked at Cole.

"That sounds like Prue and I." Stock said, a momentary smile on his face. "I would have done anything for my kids, and I still will." He said, looking at Shane. That's when he realized something was missing.

"Where's Shea?" He asked.


	25. Nowhere To Go

"What do you mean 'where's Shea'" Piper asked as she looked frantically around the room.

"She's not here!" Stock shouted jumping up and spinning in circles. Paige stood up and grabbed his arm, stopping him in mid-spin.

"Stock! It's going to be okay." Paige said as she grabbed her car keys.

"What am I doing?" Paige asked herself out loud.

Piper and Phoebe looked at her. "I can orb." She replied, answering her own question.

Finally, Piper spoke up. "Paige. What are you talking about?" She asked, concerned for her sister.

"I can orb to Shea. We all can." Paige said.

"Oh, right." Piper said. She reached for Leo to orb her there, but instead, she found nothing but air. She felt a hand on her shoulder, and saw Cole. He had a reassuring smile on his face.

"I've got you." He said. Piper smiled. Phoebe grabbed Chris's hand and Stock grabbed Paige around the waist. Shane nodded. Piper turned to look at Ian.

"You can go with Shane." Piper told him.

"I'll wait here in case she shows up again." Ian said as he walked towards the front door. He stopped for a minute.

"What's wrong?" Piper asked. Ian shook his head and shut the door.

"It was nothing." He said.

"Alright guys." Paige said. "The best bet is to follow her orb trail. She might block us out, and so we can't go to her directly. Is that cool?" Everyone nodded. "Alright. Let's go."

Ian watched as Piper shimmered/orbed with Cole, Phoebe orbed with Chris, Paige left with stock and Shane shimmered out solitary. After he gave them enough time, Ian walked outside.

Sitting on the stairs, he spoke up. "Hey."

Shea looked over at him.

"Hey." She said in response.

"What happened? I thought you were running away?" Ian asked, slight amusement in his voice.

"I was going to, but then I realized I lack a certain step." She replied.

"Which is…?" Ian prompted.

"I have nowhere to go." Shea said.

Ian said nothing; instead he pulled Shea into a hug. Shea sniffled and folded into his arms. He felt her shifting and realized she must be freezing.

"You cold?" Ian asked.

Shea said nothing, but nodded.

"Let's go inside." Ian said as he helped Shea stand up. She reached down to grab her suitcase, but Ian took it from her and opened the door for her.

"So, how long do you think it will take them to get back here?" Ian asked.

Shea smiled. "A few hours." She replied laughing.

A bath, dinner and five hours later Piper, Cole, Stock, Paige, Phoebe, Chris, and Leo appeared in the manor in various forms. Without even registering Shea and Ian, who were curled up on the couch, Shea wrapped in Ian's embrace; Paige plopped down on the armchair.

"It was useless, I can't find her anywhere." Paige said

"Um Paige." Phoebe tried to say, but Paige didn't hear her.

"I mean, how far can a 16 year old get." Paige continued.

"Paige?" Phoebe said once again.

"Unless she cloaked her magic, which is really hard." Paige said.

"Paige!" Phoebe yelled, although quietly, as not to disturb the two kids.

What?" Paige asked, snapping out of her trance.

Phoebe jerked her head in the direction of Shea and Ian. Ian's eyelids fluttered and he opened them, now aware of everyone in the living room.

"Hey honey." Piper said, reaching down to pat Ian's hair.

"Hi mom." Ian said without thinking.

Piper looked at him, bewildered. Ian saw the look and immediately regretted he said it.

"Is that alright that I call you that?" Ian asked, afraid that Piper would say no.

Piper smiled, tears forming in her eyes. "Of course that's alright sweetie." Piper said squeezing Ian's free hand.

"Well, she's been asleep for the past couple hours. We had Macaroni and Cheese for dinner, but we cleaned up." Ian explained as he slowly removed himself from under Shea. She muttered something and then became silent.

"We'll let her sleep here tonight." Piper said.

"Hey Ian?" Phoebe asked. Ian turned to face her.

"What's up?" Ian asked as he stifled a yawn.

"Why'd she come back?" Phoebe asked for everyone.

"She said she had nowhere to go. Said that she had a family here, and that's where home is." Ian said sleepily as he climbed the stairs to the attic.

Stock and Paige stood in front of Shea, looking down on her.

"Let's go." Paige said. Stock nodded and kissed Shea on the forehead.


	26. Another Truth Revealed

Shea woke up as the sun shone on her eyes. She blinked a couple of times, trying to remember what had happened last night. Then it hit her. She had tried to run away. She must not have gotten anywhere, judging by the fact that she was sleeping on the living room couch in the manor. She could hear Piper humming in the kitchen and decided to go see what she was up to.

Shea watched as Piper made breakfast. She was humming a song that Shea vaguely recognized and was swaying back in forth to the beat. After a few minutes, Piper finally turned around. She was holding a bowl of batter in one hand and a whipping spoon in the other. In a skillet on the stove, bacon was cooking.

"How long have you been standing there?" Piper asked.

"Good morning to you too." Shea responded as she sat down at the table, pulling her blanket closer around her.

"How long have you been standing there?" Piper asked again.

"Not long." Shea replied. Piper sighed in relief.

"That's good. How'd you sleep?" Piper asked a she continued to stir the pancake batter.

"Good." Shea replied as she got up and got the orange juice out of the fridge. "How did you sleep?" She asked as she poured herself a glass and offered Piper some.

"Sure, thanks. Well, my sleep was a little lacking." Piper said. Shea looked up.

"Why?" Shea asked, concerned.

"I spent half the night looking for my niece." Piper said, looking at Shea.

"Sorry about that." Shea said with a smile on her face. Piper just laughed. Shea laughed too, but her face became serious. Piper noticed this.

"What's wrong?" Piper asked, concern filling her voice.

Shea looked up at her. "Nothing." Shea said, lying.

Piper set the things in her hand down and sat next to Shea.

"Come on. You can tell me." Piper told her as she reached up and tucked a strand of loose hair behind Shea's ear. Shea flinched slightly at Piper's touch.

"I can't tell you. It would get me in trouble. It would hurt you and the rest of the Halliwell's." Shea said, as she stood up, moving away from Piper. Piper stood up also.

"How would it get you in trouble?" Piper asked, her eyes filled with worry. She moved towards Shea and touched her lightly on the arm. This time the flinch was more noticeable. Piper pulled back, a confused expression crossing her face.

"It just would. It could be the end. Of me…and you." Shea said the last part with caution. Piper looked at her, her face still contorted in confusion.

"What are you talking about Shea?" Piper asked. Piper took another step towards Shea. Shea backed up until she was backed into a wall. She looked like a little kid, afraid of the monsters in the closet. But Piper knew she was afraid of more than that.

"I don't know if I can tell you." Shea said, her lip trembling. "I don't want anyone to get hurt. He'll kill me if I tell. He'll kill you too. I don't think I can deal with that. I've watched my family die, and Dave and Rhys and Caitlin. I can't watch anymore people die!" Shea said, dropping to the floor, tears running down her face.

"What do you mean you watched your family die." Piper asked as she dropped down to her knees and kneeled across from Shea.

"Didn't my dad tell you?" Shea asked.

Piper shook her head. "Would you like to explain?" Piper asked.

Shea shuddered. "I was 10." She started her story. "Shane and I were playing in our bedroom at the foster home we were staying at. Mom came for her monthly 20-minute visit. They were ridiculous, now that I think about it. All she did was sit there for 20 minutes. She'd never ask us how we were, or what we were doing. She'' just sit there. At that time, I hardly noticed when she showed up. I wouldn't know she was there. It was pathetic. Her excuses for not coming to see us, her reasoning for giving us up. From what we understood as 11 year olds, she was just a loser, a horrible mother. She would never even talk to us." Shea screamed. Piper fought the urge to wrap her arms around her niece.

"Then one day, on my 11th birthday, it happened. She came in on the first Friday of the month, just like usual. Shane and I had just come in from playing baseball down the street with a couple of the guys: Robbie, Tommie, Tim, and Jess. We heard arguing and ran into our room. It was mom. She was arguing with the man we later knew as out dad. A turn out he wanted to see us, but our foster mom didn't tell him that mom was here too. So they started fighting. I got mad and accidentally lit the curtains on fire. Colin…you remember him right?" Shea asked, pausing in her story.

It took Piper a minute to realize that Shea was asking her a question. "Your boyfriend, right?" She asked, to make sure.

"Yea." Shea replied, then continued with her story. "Colin was living with us. He ran in to find out what was wrong. He thought it was Shane and I, because when we fought we were loud and we usually tended to actually fist fight. And then the demon came in. He was big and ugly, really ugly. Mom and dad stared at him then told us to hide under the tables. He threw mom against the wall and he turned to face dad. Even then, dad didn't turn to his demonic form. He punched the demon and the demon was knocked over. For some reason, mom decided to be a coward. She ran away. She just looked at me, with those eyes of hers. I remember them clearly. They bore into my head. She was a coward! Then the demon stood up and turned on Shane, Colin and me. Dad yelled at us to get out of there, but he was too late. The demon threw him flying across the room and he was knocked out. Then the demon turned to face us. We didn't know what to do; we were 11 for Christ sakes! And dad was totally gone, unconscious. That's when it happened." Shea said

"What happened?" Piper asked, but Shea didn't hear her.

"Then the other demon appeared. He was a shapeshifter. He shapeshifted and dad woke up. He was so happy that we were okay. Colin and I knew the truth, but we couldn't say anything, because the demon said he would kill us.

"But what happened?" Piper practically yelled.

Shea took a deep breath. "The demon killed Shane and shapeshifted into him." Shea whispered. Piper gasped.

"Morning." Shane said as he walked into the kitchen.

"Has someone been a bad girl?" he asked mockingly as he raised a knife that he held in his hand.


End file.
